Collagens and tumor fibrosis deactivate the immune system and block access to the tumor leading to poor overall prognosis and immunotherapy resistance. However, it is possible to quantify the extent of tumor fibrosis through serological measurements.
Blood-based biomarkers can quantify the tumor-stromal reactivity and extracellular matrix biology in cancer patients – a phenomenon that is highly associated with efficacy/resistance to anti-tumor modalities.
These novel non-invasive biomarkers to quantify tumor fibrosis and T-cell activity in the tumor microenvironment have clear applicability for immuno-oncology clinical cancer research and are impacting clinical development paradigms. Research activities span from the discovery of novel biomarker targets to investigations in the pre-clinical setting and with translation and validation in phase 1-3 clinical trials.
