Akoya Biosciences(US:AKYA)2025-06-12 17:00Summary of the Webinar on Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Cancer Immunotherapy Company and Industry - Company: Sequoia Biosciences - Industry: Cancer Immunotherapy and Spatial Biology Core Insights and Arguments 1. Immunotherapy Efficacy: Only 30% of cancer patients benefit from immune checkpoint inhibition, indicating a need for better predictive biomarkers to select suitable patients [4][5][6] 2. Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS): The presence of TLS is a major predictor of response to immunotherapy, particularly in sarcoma, renal cancer, and melanoma [5][21] 3. Sarcoma Treatment Challenges: Sarcoma, a rare and heterogeneous cancer, has limited treatment options, with standard chemotherapy showing a response rate of less than 10% [7][8] 4. Clinical Trial Findings: A clinical trial showed a response rate of only 2% in sarcoma patients without biomarker selection, highlighting the importance of identifying effective biomarkers [10][19] 5. TLS as a Biomarker: The presence of TLS in tumors correlates with better outcomes and response rates to immunotherapy, with a significant increase in response rate from 2% to 30% when selecting patients based on TLS status [19][21] 6. Universal Predictive Value of TLS: TLS status was found to be a powerful predictor of outcomes across various cancer types, not limited to sarcoma [21][23] 7. Mechanisms of Resistance: High levels of T regulatory cells (Tregs) in TLS positive tumors are associated with poor outcomes, while plasma cell infiltration correlates with better outcomes [24][25][26] 8. Future Directions: Ongoing research aims to understand the determinants of resistance to immunotherapy in TLS positive tumors and explore new immunotherapy targets [28][29] Other Important Content 1. Guidelines for TLS Assessment: Recent guidelines have been published for pathologists to assess TLS status in tumors, emphasizing the importance of standardized approaches [30][39] 2. Artificial Intelligence in TLS Assessment: There are emerging technologies using AI and digital pathology to evaluate TLS status, which could streamline the assessment process [39] 3. Clinical Trials and Research Programs: The CONDOR program aims to analyze genomic features of sarcomas in relation to TLS status, which may provide further insights into tumor biology and treatment responses [37] 4. Impact of Tumor Microenvironment: The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in the formation of TLS and the overall immune response, with ongoing studies investigating its components [28][36] This summary encapsulates the key points discussed in the webinar, focusing on the significance of TLS in cancer immunotherapy and the ongoing research efforts to enhance treatment efficacy.