Artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the threshold of revolutionizing clinical oncology, with considerable potential to improve early cancer detection and risk assessment, and to enable more accurate personalized treatment recommendations. However, a notable imbalance exists in the distribution of the benefits of AI, which disproportionately favour those living in specific geographical locations and in specific populations. In this Perspective, we discuss the need to foster the development of equitable AI tools that are both accurate in and accessible to a diverse range of patient populations, including those in low-income to middle-income countries. We also discuss some of the challenges and potential solutions in attaining equitable AI, including addressing the historically limited representation of diverse populations in existing clinical datasets and the use of inadequate clinical validation methods. Additionally, we focus on extant sources of inequity including the type of model approach (such as deep learning, and feature engineering-based methods), the implications of dataset curation strategies, the need for rigorous validation across a variety of populations and settings, and the risk of introducing contextual bias that comes with developing tools predominantly in high-income countries. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to dramatically change several aspects of oncology including diagnosis, early detection and treatment-related decision making. However, many of the underlying algorithms have been or are being trained on datasets that do not necessarily reflect the diversity of the target population. For this, and other reasons, many AI tools might not be suitable for application in less economically developed countries and/or in patients of certain ethnicities. In this Perspective, the authors discuss possible sources of inequity in AI development, and how to ensure the development and implementation of equitable AI tools for use in patients with cancer.
{"title":"Towards equitable AI in oncology","authors":"Vidya Sankar Viswanathan, Vani Parmar, Anant Madabhushi","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00909-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00909-8","url":null,"abstract":"Artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the threshold of revolutionizing clinical oncology, with considerable potential to improve early cancer detection and risk assessment, and to enable more accurate personalized treatment recommendations. However, a notable imbalance exists in the distribution of the benefits of AI, which disproportionately favour those living in specific geographical locations and in specific populations. In this Perspective, we discuss the need to foster the development of equitable AI tools that are both accurate in and accessible to a diverse range of patient populations, including those in low-income to middle-income countries. We also discuss some of the challenges and potential solutions in attaining equitable AI, including addressing the historically limited representation of diverse populations in existing clinical datasets and the use of inadequate clinical validation methods. Additionally, we focus on extant sources of inequity including the type of model approach (such as deep learning, and feature engineering-based methods), the implications of dataset curation strategies, the need for rigorous validation across a variety of populations and settings, and the risk of introducing contextual bias that comes with developing tools predominantly in high-income countries. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to dramatically change several aspects of oncology including diagnosis, early detection and treatment-related decision making. However, many of the underlying algorithms have been or are being trained on datasets that do not necessarily reflect the diversity of the target population. For this, and other reasons, many AI tools might not be suitable for application in less economically developed countries and/or in patients of certain ethnicities. In this Perspective, the authors discuss possible sources of inequity in AI development, and how to ensure the development and implementation of equitable AI tools for use in patients with cancer.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141287147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-05DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00908-9
Seong-Young Kwon, Hien Thi-Thu Ngo, Jinbae Son, Yeongjin Hong, Jung-Joon Min
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer but continues to be constrained by limited response rates, acquired resistance, toxicities and high costs, which necessitates the development of new, innovative strategies. The discovery of a connection between the human microbiota and cancer dates back 4,000 years, when local infection was observed to result in tumour eradication in some individuals. However, the true oncological relevance of the intratumoural microbiota was not recognized until the turn of the twentieth century. The intratumoural microbiota can have pivotal roles in both the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. In particular, intratumoural bacteria can either promote or inhibit cancer growth via remodelling of the tumour microenvironment. Over the past two decades, remarkable progress has been made preclinically in engineering bacteria as agents for cancer immunotherapy; some of these bacterial products have successfully reached the clinical stages of development. In this Review, we discuss the characteristics of intratumoural bacteria and their intricate interactions with the tumour microenvironment. We also describe the many strategies used to engineer bacteria for use in the treatment of cancer, summarizing contemporary data from completed and ongoing clinical trials. The work described herein highlights the potential of bacteria to transform the landscape of cancer therapy, bridging ancient wisdom with modern scientific innovation. Increasing evidence indicates that intratumoural bacteria can have crucial roles in both the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. In this Review, the authors discuss the characteristics of intratumoural bacteria and the emerging understanding of their tumour-promoting and antitumour activities. They also describe a range of innovative strategies that are being used to engineer bacteria for use in the treatment of cancer and summarize clinical trials of various bacteria-mediated cancer immunotherapies.
{"title":"Exploiting bacteria for cancer immunotherapy","authors":"Seong-Young Kwon, Hien Thi-Thu Ngo, Jinbae Son, Yeongjin Hong, Jung-Joon Min","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00908-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00908-9","url":null,"abstract":"Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer but continues to be constrained by limited response rates, acquired resistance, toxicities and high costs, which necessitates the development of new, innovative strategies. The discovery of a connection between the human microbiota and cancer dates back 4,000 years, when local infection was observed to result in tumour eradication in some individuals. However, the true oncological relevance of the intratumoural microbiota was not recognized until the turn of the twentieth century. The intratumoural microbiota can have pivotal roles in both the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. In particular, intratumoural bacteria can either promote or inhibit cancer growth via remodelling of the tumour microenvironment. Over the past two decades, remarkable progress has been made preclinically in engineering bacteria as agents for cancer immunotherapy; some of these bacterial products have successfully reached the clinical stages of development. In this Review, we discuss the characteristics of intratumoural bacteria and their intricate interactions with the tumour microenvironment. We also describe the many strategies used to engineer bacteria for use in the treatment of cancer, summarizing contemporary data from completed and ongoing clinical trials. The work described herein highlights the potential of bacteria to transform the landscape of cancer therapy, bridging ancient wisdom with modern scientific innovation. Increasing evidence indicates that intratumoural bacteria can have crucial roles in both the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer. In this Review, the authors discuss the characteristics of intratumoural bacteria and the emerging understanding of their tumour-promoting and antitumour activities. They also describe a range of innovative strategies that are being used to engineer bacteria for use in the treatment of cancer and summarize clinical trials of various bacteria-mediated cancer immunotherapies.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-024-00908-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141251784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Research into bispecific antibodies, which are designed to simultaneously bind two antigens or epitopes, has advanced enormously over the past two decades. Owing to advances in protein engineering technologies and considerable preclinical research efforts, bispecific antibodies are constantly being developed and optimized to improve their efficacy and to mitigate toxicity. To date, >200 of these agents, the majority of which are bispecific immune cell engagers, are in either preclinical or clinical evaluation. In this Review, we discuss the role of bispecific antibodies in patients with cancer, including history and development, as well as innovative targeting strategies, clinical applications, and adverse events. We also discuss novel alternative bispecific antibody constructs, such as those targeting two antigens expressed by tumour cells or cells located in the tumour microenvironment. Finally, we consider future research directions in this rapidly evolving field, including innovative antibody engineering strategies, which might enable more effective delivery, overcome resistance, and thus optimize clinical outcomes. Following the introduction of blinatumomab in 2014, the past 4 years have seen the approval of a further ten bispecific antibodies, reflecting substantial research effort and clinical interest in these agents. In this Review, the authors describe the developments leading to the approval of these novel agents and highlight important future research directions, including clinical optimization as well as innovative antibody engineering approaches.
{"title":"Bispecific and multispecific antibodies in oncology: opportunities and challenges","authors":"Maria-Elisabeth Goebeler, Gernot Stuhler, Ralf Bargou","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00905-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00905-y","url":null,"abstract":"Research into bispecific antibodies, which are designed to simultaneously bind two antigens or epitopes, has advanced enormously over the past two decades. Owing to advances in protein engineering technologies and considerable preclinical research efforts, bispecific antibodies are constantly being developed and optimized to improve their efficacy and to mitigate toxicity. To date, >200 of these agents, the majority of which are bispecific immune cell engagers, are in either preclinical or clinical evaluation. In this Review, we discuss the role of bispecific antibodies in patients with cancer, including history and development, as well as innovative targeting strategies, clinical applications, and adverse events. We also discuss novel alternative bispecific antibody constructs, such as those targeting two antigens expressed by tumour cells or cells located in the tumour microenvironment. Finally, we consider future research directions in this rapidly evolving field, including innovative antibody engineering strategies, which might enable more effective delivery, overcome resistance, and thus optimize clinical outcomes. Following the introduction of blinatumomab in 2014, the past 4 years have seen the approval of a further ten bispecific antibodies, reflecting substantial research effort and clinical interest in these agents. In this Review, the authors describe the developments leading to the approval of these novel agents and highlight important future research directions, including clinical optimization as well as innovative antibody engineering approaches.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141184402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-30DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00912-z
Diana Romero
{"title":"RADICALS-HD sheds light on the role of ADT addition to post-operative radiotherapy","authors":"Diana Romero","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00912-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00912-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141177746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-28DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00911-0
Peter Sidaway
{"title":"Ponatinib superior to imatinib in Ph+ ALL","authors":"Peter Sidaway","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00911-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00911-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-22DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00907-w
Maria Vittoria Dieci, Valentina Guarneri
De-escalation of treatment for HER2+ breast cancer is a priority, given the increase in cure rates owing in part to improved HER2-targeted therapies. In this regard, the neoadjuvant approach provides the ideal platform to test less-intensive treatment regimens. Here we highlight a study that demonstrated the role of the metabolic response after dual HER2 blockade as a method of selecting patients who are most likely to benefit from chemotherapy-free neoadjuvant therapy.
{"title":"Gaining ground in personalized breast cancer therapy: lesson learned from PHERGain","authors":"Maria Vittoria Dieci, Valentina Guarneri","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00907-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00907-w","url":null,"abstract":"De-escalation of treatment for HER2+ breast cancer is a priority, given the increase in cure rates owing in part to improved HER2-targeted therapies. In this regard, the neoadjuvant approach provides the ideal platform to test less-intensive treatment regimens. Here we highlight a study that demonstrated the role of the metabolic response after dual HER2 blockade as a method of selecting patients who are most likely to benefit from chemotherapy-free neoadjuvant therapy.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141079193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-21DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00906-x
Elie Rassy, Nicholas Pavlidis
The majority of patients with cancers of unknown primary have unfavourable outcomes when they receive empirical chemotherapy. The shift towards using precision medicine-based treatment strategies involves two options: tissue-agnostic or site-specific approaches. Here, we reflect on how cytology-based deep learning tools can be leveraged in these approaches.
{"title":"Predicting tumour origin with cytology-based deep learning: hype or hope?","authors":"Elie Rassy, Nicholas Pavlidis","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00906-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00906-x","url":null,"abstract":"The majority of patients with cancers of unknown primary have unfavourable outcomes when they receive empirical chemotherapy. The shift towards using precision medicine-based treatment strategies involves two options: tissue-agnostic or site-specific approaches. Here, we reflect on how cytology-based deep learning tools can be leveraged in these approaches.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141073798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-20DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00903-0
Jennifer N. Brudno, James N. Kochenderfer
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of several haematological malignancies and is being investigated in patients with various solid tumours. Characteristic CAR T cell-associated toxicities such as cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) are now well-recognized, and improved supportive care and management with immunosuppressive agents has made CAR T cell therapy safer and more feasible than it was when the first regulatory approvals of such treatments were granted in 2017. The increasing clinical experience with these therapies has also improved recognition of previously less well-defined toxicities, including movement disorders, immune effector cell-associated haematotoxicity (ICAHT) and immune effector cell-associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like syndrome (IEC-HS), as well as the substantial risk of infection in patients with persistent CAR T cell-induced B cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinaemia. A more diverse selection of immunosuppressive and supportive-care pharmacotherapies is now being utilized for toxicity management, yet no universal algorithm for their application exists. As CAR T cell products targeting new antigens are developed, additional toxicities involving damage to non-malignant tissues expressing the target antigen are a potential hurdle. Continued prospective evaluation of toxicity management strategies and the design of less-toxic CAR T cell products are both crucial for ongoing success in this field. In this Review, we discuss the evolving understanding and clinical management of CAR T cell-associated toxicities. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of various haematological malignancies but is associated with characteristic toxicities as well as less well-defined adverse effects, many of which can be severe and potentially fatal. The increasing clinical experience with CAR T cell products has resulted in better recognition and management of these toxicities using a range of pharmacotherapies, although this is an area of continued evolution and refinement. In this Review, Brudno and Kochenderfer discuss the current understanding and clinical management of CAR T cell-associated toxicities.
嵌合抗原受体(CAR)T 细胞疗法彻底改变了多种血液恶性肿瘤的治疗,目前正在对各种实体瘤患者进行研究。细胞因子释放综合征(CRS)和免疫效应细胞相关神经毒性综合征(ICANS)等CAR T细胞相关毒性特征现已得到广泛认可,支持性护理和免疫抑制剂管理的改善使CAR T细胞疗法比2017年监管机构首次批准此类疗法时更加安全可行。这些疗法的临床经验不断增加,也提高了对以前不太明确的毒性的认识,包括运动障碍、免疫效应细胞相关血液毒性(ICAHT)和免疫效应细胞相关嗜血细胞淋巴细胞增多症样综合征(IEC-HS),以及持续性CAR T细胞诱导的B细胞增生和低丙种球蛋白血症患者的巨大感染风险。目前,免疫抑制和支持治疗药物疗法的选择更加多样化,用于毒性管理,但还没有通用的应用算法。随着以新抗原为靶点的 CAR T 细胞产品的开发,涉及表达靶抗原的非恶性组织损伤的额外毒性是一个潜在的障碍。继续对毒性管理策略进行前瞻性评估以及设计毒性较低的 CAR T 细胞产品,对于该领域的持续成功至关重要。在本综述中,我们将讨论对 CAR T 细胞相关毒性不断发展的理解和临床管理。
{"title":"Current understanding and management of CAR T cell-associated toxicities","authors":"Jennifer N. Brudno, James N. Kochenderfer","doi":"10.1038/s41571-024-00903-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41571-024-00903-0","url":null,"abstract":"Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of several haematological malignancies and is being investigated in patients with various solid tumours. Characteristic CAR T cell-associated toxicities such as cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) are now well-recognized, and improved supportive care and management with immunosuppressive agents has made CAR T cell therapy safer and more feasible than it was when the first regulatory approvals of such treatments were granted in 2017. The increasing clinical experience with these therapies has also improved recognition of previously less well-defined toxicities, including movement disorders, immune effector cell-associated haematotoxicity (ICAHT) and immune effector cell-associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like syndrome (IEC-HS), as well as the substantial risk of infection in patients with persistent CAR T cell-induced B cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinaemia. A more diverse selection of immunosuppressive and supportive-care pharmacotherapies is now being utilized for toxicity management, yet no universal algorithm for their application exists. As CAR T cell products targeting new antigens are developed, additional toxicities involving damage to non-malignant tissues expressing the target antigen are a potential hurdle. Continued prospective evaluation of toxicity management strategies and the design of less-toxic CAR T cell products are both crucial for ongoing success in this field. In this Review, we discuss the evolving understanding and clinical management of CAR T cell-associated toxicities. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of various haematological malignancies but is associated with characteristic toxicities as well as less well-defined adverse effects, many of which can be severe and potentially fatal. The increasing clinical experience with CAR T cell products has resulted in better recognition and management of these toxicities using a range of pharmacotherapies, although this is an area of continued evolution and refinement. In this Review, Brudno and Kochenderfer discuss the current understanding and clinical management of CAR T cell-associated toxicities.","PeriodicalId":19079,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":81.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141071276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}