The Signature Oncology Diagnostic Platform
About Signature Oncology Diagnostic Test for Melanoma
The Signature Oncology melanoma companion diagnostic test measures the levels of 10 genes related to Interferon Gamma (IFNG, IFN-γ) plus a selection of 30 housekeeping genes, which are used to normalize the dataset set.
A proprietary algorithm is used to weight and score the results which can then be used to dictate patient treatment with immunotherapies, initially in the neoadjuvant setting of Stage III melanoma. The test is also applicable for patients in the Stage II adjuvant setting and potentially Stage IV disease, where tests for diagnosis and recurrent disease are required by the clinician.
The Signature Oncology test utilises the NanoString nCounter Flex Analysis System to provide an accurate and rapid gene expression analysis and an IFNG score that can be used in daily clinical practice. Signature Oncology has demonstrated that patients with a high IFNG score are much more likely to respond to immunotherapy treatment and have a favourable event free survival (EFS) profile in the neoadjuvant setting of stage III melanoma.
Accordingly, the IFNG Signature is able to identify melanoma patients that will not benefit from immunotherapy, which is an important consideration when considering treatment with immunotherapies which can cost up to US$150,000 per patient, per treatment, per annum. Hence, while immunotherapy offers to advanced melanoma patients a chance of robust durable responses it is associated with both high treatment costs and expensive (and frequent) adverse side effects which may limit use.
There is at present no method to differentiate between likely responders who represent the minority and non-responders for immunotherapy in melanoma. Signature Oncology seeks to solve this problem via its proprietary IFNG profile analysis. Signature Oncology is open to clinical partnerships with pharmaceutical drug developers seeking to differentiate their product offering based on potential survival benefits associated with an IFNG signature to stratify patients within clinical trials in melanoma.
Role of Interferon Gamma (IFNG, IFN-γ) in Melanoma
Interferon Gamma has been shown to stimulate melanoma development and progression. It plays a key role in activation of cellular immunity and subsequently, stimulation of anti-tumour immune-response in melanoma and other cancers. There is emerging evidence indicating potential interactions between IFNG signalling and PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression in melanoma1. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) may be induced by oncogenic signals or can be upregulated via IFNG . Accordingly, an understanding of a patient’s IFNG profile is important clinically to determine whether a patient will likely respond to treatment with PD-1 or PD-L1 drugs.
Learn more about our work with melanoma cancer cells by giving us a call on +61 402 493 727 today.