Mapping tumor microenvironments to predict lung cancer immunotherapy response
Originally published b y Justin Jackson , Phys.org , on May 27, 2025 edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan Schematic representation of the mIF assay. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adu2151 Amidst the continued struggle to treat non-small-cell lung cancer , a new study led by Stanford University scientists suggests that a patient's response to immunotherapy may hinge on how immune cells cluster around tumors . Their results reveal that s patial arrangements of certain immune cells within tumors can serve as powerful predictors of treatment response , surpassing existing biomarker tests. Lung cancer leads global cancer mortality , and non-small-cell variants make up more than 80% of cases . Immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed therapy yet help o nly 27–45% of recipients . Reliable predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response have eluded clinicians, who currently rely on PD-L1 immunohistochemistry, tumor mutational burden, ...