Correlation of DNA methylation signatures with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic melanoma.

Authors

null

Julia Maria Ressler

Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Julia Maria Ressler , Erwin Tomasich , Teresa Hatziioannou , Helmut Ringl , Gerwin Heller , Rita Silmbrod , Nina Zila , Philipp Tschandl , Christoph Hoeller , Anna Sophie Berghoff , Matthias Preusser

Organizations

Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Department of Radiology, Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, Klinik Donaustadt, Vienna, Austria, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Research Funding

Other Foundation
Christian Doppler Research Association and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs, the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma with objective response rates of 40-58%. However, reliable biomarkers to predict treatment response are lacking. Tumor tissue methylation profiles were recently proposed to have predictive value in various solid organ tumor entities. Methods: Patients with metastatic melanoma, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC; 8th Edition) stage IV, receiving first-line ICI-based therapy, were retrospectively identified and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples (FFPE) prior to ICI therapy were retrieved. We analyzed DNA methylation profiles of > 850.000 CpG sites in tumor specimens by Infinium MethylationEPIC microarrays. DNA methylation profiles were then correlated with radiological response (iRECIST). Results: 71 patients with metastatic melanoma (44 (62.0%) male, 27 (38.0%) female) were investigated; median progression free survival (PFS) was 8.5 months (range: 0 – 104.1 months) and median overall survival (OS) was 30.6 months (range: 0 – 104.1 months), respectively. 29 (40.8%) patients achieved an objective response to ICIs. Microarray analyses revealed a methylation signature including mainly hypomethylation, corresponding to the response to ICIs. Based on the 500 mostly differentially methylated genes, a total of 3 clusters were identified with the majority of responders being in cluster 2 (12/12) and 3 (12/22). The predictive performance of the methylation signature was high with 80% sensitivity, 81% specificity, and an AUC of 0.853. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that tumor DNA methylation profiling may be useful to predict response to ICIs in patients with metastatic melanoma.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Track

Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Sub Track

Advanced/Metastatic Disease

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 16; abstr 9561)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.9561

Abstract #

9561

Poster Bd #

324

Abstract Disclosures