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Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors against Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) may improve clinical outcomes for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 (Abstract 1172O). These therapeutic agents may be most beneficial for patients who test negative for this intestinal bacterium, suggested Lorenzo Belluomini, MD, PhD, of the University of Verona, Italy, and colleagues.
From 2021 to 2024, a total of 104 patients with advanced NSCLC were recruited for the study. All patients were treated with either immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy (72%) or immune checkpoint inhibitors alone (28%). Blood (n = 202) and stool (n = 182) samples were collected from all patients before treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor and after two treatment cycles. To quantify the prevalence and relative abundance of Akk in the blood and stool samples, metagenomics analyses were performed. Flow cytometry was used to analyze IgG and IgA antibodies against Akk.
The study authors reported a median progression-free survival of 9.11 months. Metagenomic analyses performed in 59 patients revealed an increased progression-free survival in Akk-positive patients compared with Akk-negative patients. After patients were stratified by expression of Akk, patients with a high expression (> 4.799) or an absence of Akk had more progressive disease than did those with low Akk expression (< 4.799). In addition, a decreased progression-free survival was noted in patients with high Akk expression. Furthermore, elevated levels of anti-Akk IgG were found to be associated with increased disease progression and poorer progression-free survival.
Disclosure: Dr. Belluomini reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit cslide.ctimeetingtech.com.
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