OncoHost Reports Blood-Protein Signature May Flag Lung Cancer Progression Before Imaging

OncoHost disclosed research on November 5 suggesting that changes in blood proteins may reveal resistance to lung cancer immunotherapy before progression appears on imaging. The company, based in Binyamina and Cary, North Carolina, said the findings remain investigational and require further prospective validation to establish clinical utility. Researchers examined a 22-protein signature in 440 blood-plasma samples collected over time from 109 patients in two independent cohorts. Participants had advanced non-small cell lung cancer and received an immune checkpoint inhibitor alone, an inhibitor with chemotherapy, or dual checkpoint inhibitor treatment. The investigators compared protein scores with imaging assessments and overall survival. Among patients who developed acquired resistance, the company reported that score-based progression appeared a median 170 days before imaging identified progression. Increasing scores, or scores that fell and then rose, occurred in 72% of patients who developed progressive disease. Michal Harel, OncoHost's vice president of translational medicine, said: “Plasma proteomics offers a unique opportunity to monitor the biological changes that occur throughout cancer treatment.” OncoHost plans to present the research at the International Society of Liquid Biopsy meeting in Madrid, November 7–9. Its poster session is scheduled for November 7, from 15:15 to 16:00. The longitudinal monitoring research is distinct from its existing PROphetNSCLC offering, which uses a single blood sample to guide first-line immunotherapy decisions.