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e21143 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are associated with durable antitumor activity in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, selection of the best candidates for this type of therapy is a challenge. PD-L1 expression, the only adequately validated predictive biomarker of response to ICIs, is imperfect, and not completely discriminatory between responders and non-responders. Gene expression profile (GEP) is a promising way to evolve in this field. The objective of this study was to identify a GEP of immune-oncology related genes, predictive of response to ICIs in NSCLC. Methods: This study analyzed two cohorts of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in any line: a discovery cohort composed of 66 Brazilian patients and a validation cohort composed of 54 Spanish patients. Clinical data were collected from medical records. Total RNA was extracted from FFPE tumor tissue. Gene expression profile (GEP) was assessed using the nCounter PanCancer IO360 panel (NanoString Technologies), which comprises 770 genes involved in the cancer immune response. LASSO regression with Cox proportional hazards approach was used to define the new gene expression signature. Results: In the discovery cohort, median age was 62.5 years (36 - 81 years). Most patients were males (57.6%), stage IV (91.9%), ECOG-PS≤1 (90.7%), smokers/former smokers (83.3%) and had adenocarcinoma histology (67.7%). The majority was treated with ICI in the first-line setting (42.4%) and nivolumab was the most frequently used drug (52.6%). At data cutoff, median follow-up for overall survival (OS - time from ICI initiation to death by any cause) was 27.7 months and for real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS - time from ICI initiation to disease progression as assessed by treating physician) was 28.2 months. The median OS and rwPFS were 17.7 months and 5.6 months, respectively. We identified a 6-gene signature (Lung Tumor Score – LungTS) that discriminate patients at low and high risk for death (median OS: 36.1 vs 15.5 months; p < 0.001) and for disease progression (median rwPFS: 10.1 vs 4.2 months; p < 0.001). Considering the expression of CD274 (PD-L1), the LungTS signature also discriminated two populations regarding OS and rwPFS (p < 0.0001). In the validation cohort, which had clinicopathological characteristics similar to the discovery cohort, the OS for high versus low LungTS was 17.0 months and 9.0 months, respectively (p = 0.004). Patients with high score also showed better rwPFS, although not statistically significant (median 10.0 versus 4.0 months; p = 0.11). Conclusions: Our study identified a novel 6-gene immune-signature predictive of response to ICI in NSCLC.

Supplemental material, Reviewer_2_v.1 for Precision medicine and its implementation in patients with NTRK fusion genes: perspective from developing countries by Andrés F. Cardona, Oscar Arrieta, Alejandro Ruiz-Patiño, Carolina Sotelo, Nataly Zamudio-Molano, Zyanya Lucia Zatarain-Barrón, Luisa Ricaurte, Luis Raez, Marco Polo Peralta Álvarez, Feliciano Barrón, Leonardo Rojas, Christian Rolfo, Niki Karachaliou, Miguel Angel Molina-Vila and Rafael Rosell in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease

Supplemental material, Reviewer_1_v.1 for Precision medicine and its implementation in patients with NTRK fusion genes: perspective from developing countries by Andrés F. Cardona, Oscar Arrieta, Alejandro Ruiz-Patiño, Carolina Sotelo, Nataly Zamudio-Molano, Zyanya Lucia Zatarain-Barrón, Luisa Ricaurte, Luis Raez, Marco Polo Peralta Álvarez, Feliciano Barrón, Leonardo Rojas, Christian Rolfo, Niki Karachaliou, Miguel Angel Molina-Vila and Rafael Rosell in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease

The results of randomized clinical trials employing immune checkpoint inhibitors for pre-treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have recently revolutionised the standard available option for this disease setting. Nevertheless, the validation of reliable predictive biomarkers, able to define that proportion of patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy, represents a crucial and still unsolved issue. This intensive research aimed at selecting potentially predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy is developed together with a wide range of analyses investigating the molecular profiling of lung cancer, leading to the spontaneous question of how these two parallel aspects of the same disease may coexist and influence one another. The potential impact of the mutational landscape of lung cancer on tumor immunogenicity (in both oncogene-addicted and molecularly unselected disease) will be explored and discussed in this review in order to begin to answer the unsolved questions.

AimsGene fusions assays are key for personalised treatments of advanced human cancers. Their implementation on cytological material requires a preliminary validation that may make use of cell line slides mimicking cytological samples. In this international multi-institutional study, gene fusion reference standards were developed and validated.MethodsCell lines harbouringEML4(13)–ALK(20) andSLC34A2(4)–ROS1(32) gene fusions were adopted to prepare reference standards. Eight laboratories (five adopting amplicon-based and three hybridisation-based platforms) received, at different dilution points two sets of slides (slide A 50.0%, slide B 25.0%, slide C 12.5% and slide D wild type) stained by Papanicolaou (Pap) and May Grunwald Giemsa (MGG). Analysis was carried out on a total of 64 slides.ResultsFour (50.0%) out of eight laboratories reported results on all slides and dilution points. While 12 (37.5%) out of 32 MGG slides were inadequate, 27 (84.4%) out of 32 Pap slides produced libraries adequate for variant calling. The laboratories using hybridisation-based platforms showed the highest rate of inadequate results (13/24 slides, 54.2%). Conversely, only 10.0% (4/40 slides) of inadequate results were reported by laboratories adopting amplicon-based platforms.ConclusionsReference standards in cytological format yield better results when Pap staining and processed by amplicon-based assays. Further investigation is required to optimise these standards for MGG stained cells and for hybridisation-based approaches.

L'avaluació dels marcadors moleculars en teixit tumoral per predir el pronòstic del càncer i la resposta al tractament, també coneguda com a tractament personalitzat, ha transformat la pràctica clínica per a molts tipus de càncer. Es va descobrir que aquesta teràpia dirigida per genotipar, millora la supervivència del pacient i per tant s'han introduït diverses plataformes tècniques en els laboratoris clínics. No obstant això, no tots els tumors es poden biopsiar i, sovint, les quantitats de teixit són insuficients per a la caracterització del tumor. L'ARN, l'ADN i les proteïnes lliures circulants de biòpsies líquides, es poden extreure dels fluids corporals i poden reemplaçar o complementar les biòpsies de teixit. Les biòpsies líquides tenen diversos avantatges: la possibilitat de realització d' estudis de serie o mínimament invasiva i permet analitzar l'heterogeneïtat tumoral. Malauradament, encara hi ha una gran bretxa entre la recerca bàsica i la implementació clínica de biòpsies líquides, principalment a causa de la manca de metodologies estandarditzades. A més, les plataformes tècniques que s'utilitzen actualment, no sempre són adequades per analitzar la baixa quantitat i qualitat de material del tumor derivat d'una biòpsia líquida. En conseqüència, la validació i implementació dels assajos de biomarcadors en biòpsies líquides en els laboratoris clínics, requereixen una plataforma tècnica estandarditzada que sigui sensible, ràpida, fàcil d'utilitzar, relativamente econòmica, flexible i amb poca quantitat de mostra. La plataforma nCounter es pot utilitzar per analitzar tota classe de molècules, inclosos ARN, ADN i proteïnes. La hibridació de codis de barres codificats per colors pels objectius d'interès permet una lectura directa dels nivells d'expressió de gens i proteïnes o la detecció de mutacions. El desenvolupament d'assaigs de biomarcadors en teixits, usant el nCounter, va conduir a l'aprovació per la FDA de l'assaig Prosigna™ per a ús clínic en la tipificació del càncer de mama. Els esforços anteriors també han destacat el potencial d'aquesta plataforma per analitzar molècules derivades i amplificades de biòpsies líquides, encara que es necessiten estudis de validació en l'entorn clínic. En aquesta tesi validem l'ús de la plataforma NanoString nCounter per analitzar material de biòpsies líquides i desenvolupar assajos de biomarcadors clínicament rellevants. La evaluación de los marcadores moleculares en tejido tumoral para el pronóstico del cáncer y la predicción de respuesta al tratamiento (lo que habitualmente se conoce como tratamiento personalizado) ha transformado la práctica clínica a la hora de tratar muchos tipos de cáncer. Son numerosos los trabajos que desde hace tiempo respaldan el efecto que esta terapia dirigida por genotipo tiene sobre los pacientes oncológicos mejorando la supervivencia del paciente; consecuentemente, un amplio rango de plataformas técnicas han sido implementadas en los laboratorios clínicos en los últimos años. Sin embargo, no todos los tumores se pueden biopsiar y, a menudo, las cantidades de tejido son insuficientes para la caracterización del tumor. Las biopsias líquidas, como el ARN, el ADN o las proteínas circulantes tanto libres como encapsuladas en una membrana, pueden extraerse de los fluidos corporales reemplazando o complementando de este modo las tradicionales biopsias de tejido. Las biopsias líquidas tienen varias ventajas: ofrecen la posibilidad de realizar estudios seriados, son mínimamente invasivas y permiten analizar la heterogeneidad tumoral. Desafortunadamente, todavía existe una gran brecha entre la investigación básica y la implementación clínica de las biopsias líquidas, principalmente debido a la falta de metodologías estandarizadas. Además, las plataformas técnicas que se utilizan actualmente no siempre son adecuadas para analizar la baja cantidad y calidad de material del tumor procedente de una biopsia líquida. En consecuencia, la validación e implementación de los ensayos de biomarcadores en biopsias líquidas en los laboratorios clínicos requieren una plataforma técnica estandarizada que sea sensible, rápida, fácil de usar, viable económicamente, flexible y que requiera un aporte inicial de ácidos nucleicos bajo, debido a la baja concentración que normalmente se obtiene en las biopsias líquidas. La plataforma nCounter se puede utilizar para analizar todo tipo de moléculas, incluyendo ARN, ADN y proteínas. La hibridación de diferentes códigos formados por moléculas de colores siguiendo patrones específicos con secuencias de interés permite una lectura directa de los niveles de expresión de genes y proteínas o la detección de mutaciones. El desarrollo de ensayos de biomarcadores en tejidos usando nCounter condujo a la aprobación por la administración de fármacos y alimentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA) del ensayo Prosigna ™ para su uso clínico en la tipificación del cáncer de mama. Numerosos estudios han destacado el potencial de esta plataforma para analizar moléculas derivadas y amplificadas de biopsias líquidas, aunque estudios de validación en el entorno clínico aun son necesarios. El objeto de esta tesis es la validación del uso de la plataforma NanoString nCounter para analizar material de biopsias líquidas y desarrollar ensayos de biomarcadores clínicamente relevantes. The assessment of predictive- and prognostic molecular markers in tumor tissue, also known as personalised treatment, has transformed clinical practice for many cancer types. This genotype-directed therapy was found to improve patient survival, and several technical platforms have been introduced in clinical laboratories since then. However, not all tumors can be biopsied and tissue quantities are often insufficient for tumor characterisation. Liquid biopsies, such as membrane-encapsulated- or circulating free RNA, DNA and proteins, can be derived from body fluids and can replace or complement tissue biopsies. They have several advantages, such as repeated sampling, a minimally invasive character and heterogeneous profiling. Unfortunately, there is still a big gap between basic research and clinical implementation of liquid biopsies, mainly due to the lack of standardised methodologies. In addition, currently used technical platforms are not always suitable to analyze the low quantity and quality of tumor-derived material that can be found in a liquid biopsy. In consequence, large-scale validation and clinical implementation of liquid biopsy-based biomarker assays requires a sensitive, quick, easy-to-use, relatively cheap, flexible and standardized technical platform with low input requirements. The nCounter platform can be used to analyze all types of molecules, including RNA, DNA and proteins. Binding of color coded barcodes to targets of interest allows for either a direct read-out of gene- or protein expression levels or the detection of mutations. Tissue-based biomarker assay development on nCounter led to the FDA approval of the Prosigna™ assay for clinical use in breast cancer subtyping. Previous efforts have also highlighted the potential of this platform to analyze amplified liquid biopsy-derived molecules, although validation studies in the clinical setting are needed. In this thesis we validated the use of the NanoString nCounter platform to analyze material from liquid biopsies and develop clinically relevant biomarker assays.

L'avaluació dels marcadors moleculars en teixit tumoral per predir el pronòstic del càncer i la resposta al tractament, també coneguda com a tractament personalitzat, ha transformat la pràctica clínica per a molts tipus de càncer. Es va descobrir que aquesta teràpia dirigida per genotipar, millora la supervivència del pacient i per tant s'han introduït diverses plataformes tècniques en els laboratoris clínics. No obstant això, no tots els tumors es poden biopsiar i, sovint, les quantitats de teixit són insuficients per a la caracterització del tumor. L'ARN, l'ADN i les proteïnes lliures circulants de biòpsies líquides, es poden extreure dels fluids corporals i poden reemplaçar o complementar les biòpsies de teixit. Les biòpsies líquides tenen diversos avantatges: la possibilitat de realització d’ estudis de serie o mínimament invasiva i permet analitzar l'heterogeneïtat tumoral. Malauradament, encara hi ha una gran bretxa entre la recerca bàsica i la implementació clínica de biòpsies líquides, principalment a causa de la manca de metodologies estandarditzades. A més, les plataformes tècniques que s'utilitzen actualment, no sempre són adequades per analitzar la baixa quantitat i qualitat de material del tumor derivat d'una biòpsia líquida. En conseqüència, la validació i implementació dels assajos de biomarcadors en biòpsies líquides en els laboratoris clínics, requereixen una plataforma tècnica estandarditzada que sigui sensible, ràpida, fàcil d'utilitzar, relativamente econòmica, flexible i amb poca quantitat de mostra. La plataforma nCounter es pot utilitzar per analitzar tota classe de molècules, inclosos ARN, ADN i proteïnes. La hibridació de codis de barres codificats per colors pels objectius d'interès permet una lectura directa dels nivells d'expressió de gens i proteïnes o la detecció de mutacions. El desenvolupament d'assaigs de biomarcadors en teixits, usant el nCounter, va conduir a l'aprovació per la FDA de l'assaig Prosigna™ per a ús clínic en la tipificació del càncer de mama. Els esforços anteriors també han destacat el potencial d'aquesta plataforma per analitzar molècules derivades i amplificades de biòpsies líquides, encara que es necessiten estudis de validació en l'entorn clínic. En aquesta tesi validem l'ús de la plataforma NanoString nCounter per analitzar material de biòpsies líquides i desenvolupar assajos de biomarcadors clínicament rellevants. La evaluación de los marcadores moleculares en tejido tumoral para el pronóstico del cáncer y la predicción de respuesta al tratamiento (lo que habitualmente se conoce como tratamiento personalizado) ha transformado la práctica clínica a la hora de tratar muchos tipos de cáncer. Son numerosos los trabajos que desde hace tiempo respaldan el efecto que esta terapia dirigida por genotipo tiene sobre los pacientes oncológicos mejorando la supervivencia del paciente; consecuentemente, un amplio rango de plataformas técnicas han sido implementadas en los laboratorios clínicos en los últimos años. Sin embargo, no todos los tumores se pueden biopsiar y, a menudo, las cantidades de tejido son insuficientes para la caracterización del tumor. Las biopsias líquidas, como el ARN, el ADN o las proteínas circulantes tanto libres como encapsuladas en una membrana, pueden extraerse de los fluidos corporales reemplazando o complementando de este modo las tradicionales biopsias de tejido. Las biopsias líquidas tienen varias ventajas: ofrecen la posibilidad de realizar estudios seriados, son mínimamente invasivas y permiten analizar la heterogeneidad tumoral. Desafortunadamente, todavía existe una gran brecha entre la investigación básica y la implementación clínica de las biopsias líquidas, principalmente debido a la falta de metodologías estandarizadas. Además, las plataformas técnicas que se utilizan actualmente no siempre son adecuadas para analizar la baja cantidad y calidad de material del tumor procedente de una biopsia líquida. En consecuencia, la validación e implementación de los ensayos de biomarcadores en biopsias líquidas en los laboratorios clínicos requieren una plataforma técnica estandarizada que sea sensible, rápida, fácil de usar, viable económicamente, flexible y que requiera un aporte inicial de ácidos nucleicos bajo, debido a la baja concentración que normalmente se obtiene en las biopsias líquidas. La plataforma nCounter se puede utilizar para analizar todo tipo de moléculas, incluyendo ARN, ADN y proteínas. La hibridación de diferentes códigos formados por moléculas de colores siguiendo patrones específicos con secuencias de interés permite una lectura directa de los niveles de expresión de genes y proteínas o la detección de mutaciones. El desarrollo de ensayos de biomarcadores en tejidos usando nCounter condujo a la aprobación por la administración de fármacos y alimentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA) del ensayo Prosigna ™ para su uso clínico en la tipificación del cáncer de mama. Numerosos estudios han destacado el potencial de esta plataforma para analizar moléculas derivadas y amplificadas de biopsias líquidas, aunque estudios de validación en el entorno clínico aun son necesarios. El objeto de esta tesis es la validación del uso de la plataforma NanoString nCounter para analizar material de biopsias líquidas y desarrollar ensayos de biomarcadores clínicamente relevantes. The assessment of predictive- and prognostic molecular markers in tumor tissue, also known as personalised treatment, has transformed clinical practice for many cancer types. This genotype-directed therapy was found to improve patient survival, and several technical platforms have been introduced in clinical laboratories since then. However, not all tumors can be biopsied and tissue quantities are often insufficient for tumor characterisation. Liquid biopsies, such as membrane-encapsulated- or circulating free RNA, DNA and proteins, can be derived from body fluids and can replace or complement tissue biopsies. They have several advantages, such as repeated sampling, a minimally invasive character and heterogeneous profiling. Unfortunately, there is still a big gap between basic research and clinical implementation of liquid biopsies, mainly due to the lack of standardised methodologies. In addition, currently used technical platforms are not always suitable to analyze the low quantity and quality of tumor-derived material that can be found in a liquid biopsy. In consequence, large-scale validation and clinical implementation of liquid biopsy-based biomarker assays requires a sensitive, quick, easy-to-use, relatively cheap, flexible and standardized technical platform with low input requirements. The nCounter platform can be used to analyze all types of molecules, including RNA, DNA and proteins. Binding of color coded barcodes to targets of interest allows for either a direct read-out of gene- or protein expression levels or the detection of mutations. Tissue-based biomarker assay development on nCounter led to the FDA approval of the Prosigna™ assay for clinical use in breast cancer subtyping. Previous efforts have also highlighted the potential of this platform to analyze amplified liquid biopsy-derived molecules, although validation studies in the clinical setting are needed. In this thesis we validated the use of the NanoString nCounter platform to analyze material from liquid biopsies and develop clinically relevant biomarker assays. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Bioquímica, Biologia Molecular i Biomedicina

Gene fusions represent novel predictive biomarkers for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we validated a narrow NGS gene panel able to cover therapeutically-relevant gene fusions and splicing events in advanced-stage NSCLC patients. To this aim, we first assessed minimal complementary DNA (cDNA) input and the limit of detection (LoD) in different cell lines. Then, to evaluate the feasibility of applying our panel to routine clinical samples, we retrospectively selected archived lung adenocarcinoma histological and cytological (cell blocks) samples. Overall, our SiRe RNA fusion panel was able to detect all fusions and a splicing event harbored in a RNA pool diluted up to 2 ng/&micro, L. It also successfully analyzed 46 (95.8%) out of 48 samples. Among these, 43 (93.5%) out of 46 samples reproduced the same results as those obtained with conventional techniques. Intriguingly, the three discordant results were confirmed by a CE-IVD automated real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis (Easy PGX platform, Diatech Pharmacogenetics, Jesi, Italy). Based on these findings, we conclude that our new SiRe RNA fusion panel is a valid and robust tool for the detection of clinically relevant gene fusions and splicing events in advanced NSCLC.

Background: When tumour tissue is unavailable, cell-free DNA (cfDNA)can serve as a surrogate for genetic analyses. Because mutated alleles in cfDNA are usually below 1%, next-generation sequencing (NGS)must be narrowed to target only clinically relevant genes. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a panel to use in ultra-deep sequencing to identify such mutations in cfDNA. Methods: Our panel (‘SiRe') covers 568 mutations in six genes (EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, cKIT and PDGFRα)involved in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), gastrointestinal stromal tumour, colorectal carcinoma and melanoma. We evaluated the panel performance in three steps. First, we analysed its analytical sensitivity on cell line DNA and by using an artificial reference standard with multiple mutations in different genes. Second, we analysed cfDNA from cancer patients at presentation (n=42), treatment response (n=12) and tumour progression (n=11); all patients had paired tumour tissue and cfDNA previously genotyped with a Taqman-derived assay (TDA). Third, we tested blood samples prospectively collected from NSCLC patients (n=79) to assess the performance of SiRe in clinical practice. Results: SiRe had a high analytical performance and a 0.01% lower limit of detection. In the retrospective series, SiRe detected 40 EGFR, 11 KRAS, 1 NRAS and 5 BRAF mutations (96.8% concordance with TDA). In the baseline samples, SiRe had 100% specificity and 79% sensitivity relative to tumour tissue. Finally, in the prospective series, SiRe detected 8.7% (4/46) of EGFR mutations at baseline and 42.9% (9/21) of EGFR p.T790M in patients at tumour progression. Conclusions: SiRe is a feasible NGS panel for cfDNA analysis in clinical practice.