Elise Nassif, MD, post-doctoral fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses examining gut microbial signatures in the tumor microenvironment.

It is beneficial to examine unifying signatures of response across cancer types in the gut microbiome, as well as in B cells in tertiary lymphoid structures in the tumor microenvironment, Nassif says. Moreover, clinicians can identify specific microbial signatures in the gut microbiome that affect responses to immune checkpoint blockade and increase the infiltration of B cells in the tumor microenvironment, Nassif explains.

Notably, unifying signatures have been seen across different subgroups and tumor types, Nassif continues. This is important because clinicians can now target the gut microbiome through treatment, Nassif says. Overall, current research regarding the best way to target the gut microbiome to improve responses to immune checkpoint blockade is ongoing, Nassif concludes.


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Elise Nassif, MD, discusses examining gut microbial signatures in the tumor microenvironment.


Dr. Nassif on Examining Gut Microbial Signatures in the Tumor Microenvironment

Elise Nassif, MD, post-doctoral fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, PhD student, Centre Léon Bérard, discusses the efficacy of early-phase clinical trials in soft tissue sarcoma. 

, findings from an analysis of early-phase clinical trials in soft tissue sarcomas at the Centre Léon Bérard and Gustave Roussy institutions demonstrated that the progression-free survival (PFS) rates observed compared favorably with previously published efficacy end points, Nassif says. 

The results showed that 3-month PFS rates were 78% with first-line treatment, 58% with second-line treatment, and 44% with third-line treatment and beyond. At 6 months, these rates were 63%, 46%, and 21%, respectively. The median overall survival from the start of the trial was 36.3 months with first-line therapy, 12.6 months with second-line therapy, and 9 months with third-line therapy and beyond. 

As such, the results suggest that early inclusion in clinical studies in the context of specific molecular and histologic trials leads to clinical benefit for patients with soft tissue sarcoma, Nassif concludes. 

Elise Nassif, MD, discusses the efficacy of early-phase clinical trials in soft tissue sarcoma.  



Elise Nassif, MD

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Dr. Nassif on Examining Gut Microbial Signatures in the Tumor Microenvironment

Dr. Nassif on the Efficacy of Early-Phase Clinical Trials in Soft Tissue Sarcoma