Two Genes May Predict Who Benefits From Cancer Treatment

Cancer immunotherapy can be life-changing for some patients, but doctors have struggled to predict who will benefit from treatment. A new breakthrough may finally provide answers.

Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute discovered that when cancer cells lose two specific genes, CHD1 and MAP3K7, they become dramatically more vulnerable to immune attack. The team used advanced gene-editing technology called CRISPR to switch off genes one by one, watching how cancer cells responded to immune signals.

The scientists developed a clever new method to test their findings. They cultured tumor cells and immune cells from the same patient together, measuring how effectively the immune system killed cancer cells. This allowed them to pinpoint exactly which genes make tumors more or less vulnerable.

When either gene was knocked out, cancer cells became easier targets for T-cells, the immune system's most powerful cancer-fighting cells. When both genes were switched off simultaneously, the cancer cells became even more defenseless against immune attack.

The team then tested their discovery in mice and found that tumors lacking these genes responded far better to immunotherapy. They attracted higher levels of cancer-killing immune cells, leading to better treatment outcomes.

Most importantly, when researchers analyzed data from actual cancer patients, they found a clear pattern. Patients whose tumors naturally had low levels of CHD1 or MAP3K7 were significantly more likely to respond positively to immunotherapy.

Why This Inspires

Currently, immunotherapy only works in about 35% of patients with solid tumors. Doctors often prescribe these powerful treatments without knowing whether they'll help, leaving patients and families uncertain about outcomes. These newly identified genes could change everything.

Testing for CHD1 and MAP3K7 levels could help doctors predict which patients will benefit most from immunotherapy. This means fewer patients enduring treatments that won't work for them and more receiving therapies matched to their specific cancer biology.

The discovery also opens doors for developing new treatments that target these genes directly. Future therapies might deliberately silence CHD1 or MAP3K7 to make stubborn tumors more responsive to immune attack.

The research, published in Cell Reports Medicine, represents a major step toward solving one of cancer medicine's biggest mysteries: why immunotherapy transforms some lives while leaving others unchanged. With these biomarkers, doctors can move closer to truly personalized cancer care, giving each patient the best possible chance at successful treatment.