Find the Flame: Predictive Biomarkers for Immunotherapy in Melanoma

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of melanoma. In particular, checkpoint inhibition has shown to increase long-term outcome, and, in some cases, it can be virtually curative. However, the absence of clinically validated predictive biomarkers is one of the major causes of unpredictable efficacy of immunotherapy. Indeed, the availability of predictive biomarkers could allow a better stratification of patients, suggesting which type of drugs should be used in a certain clinical context and guiding clinicians in escalating or de-escalating therapy. However, the difficulty in obtaining clinically useful predictive biomarkers reflects the deep complexity of tumor biology. Biomarkers can be classified as tumor-intrinsic biomarkers, microenvironment biomarkers, and systemic biomarkers. Herein we review the available literature to classify and describe predictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibition in melanoma with the aim of helping clinicians in the decision-making process. We also performed a meta-analysis on the predictive value of PDL-1.

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Biomarkers Predictive of Long-Term Outcome After Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

World Neurosurgery ◽

10.1016/j.wneu.2021.10.157 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sauson Soldozy ◽

Kaan Yağmurlu ◽

Pedro Norat ◽

Mazin Elsarrag ◽

John Costello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome

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Duration of untreated psychosis as predictor of long-term outcome in schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.113.127753 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 205 (2) ◽

pp. 88-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 278

Author(s):

Matti Penttilä ◽

Erika Jääskeläinen ◽

Noora Hirvonen ◽

Matti Isohanni ◽

Jouko Miettunen

Keyword(s):

Negative Symptoms ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Hospital Treatment ◽

Duration Of Untreated Psychosis ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Early Intervention In Psychosis

BackgroundDuration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is one of the few potentially modifiable predictors of outcomes of schizophrenia. Long DUP as a predictor of poor short-term outcome has been addressed in previous meta-analyses, but the long-term effects of DUP remain unclear.AimsTo analyse the associations between DUP and long-term outcomes of schizophrenia.MethodA systematic literature search was performed using seven electronic databases and manual searches. Random effects weighted meta-analysis with correlation coefficients was used to pool the results.ResultsWe identified 3493 unique publications, from which 33 samples met our predefined selection criteria. Long DUP correlated statistically significantly with poor general symptomatic outcome, more severe positive and negative symptoms, lesser likelihood of remission and poor social functioning and global outcome (correlations 0.13–0.18). Long DUP was not associated with employment, quality of life or hospital treatment.ConclusionsThe small but mostly consistent correlation between long DUP and poor outcome indicates that early intervention in psychosis may have at least subtle positive effects on the long-term course of illness.

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