Immuno-Oncology & Oncology Research & Development

What Is Immuno-oncology?

Immuno-oncology (I/O) is an important cancer treatment utilizing a patient’s immune system to detect and destroy cancerous cells (1). Our immune system has natural surveillance processes that can eliminate potential threats to our health, but it is sometimes not enough. By providing the immune system with external tools that can identify tumors, I/O treatments may recognize and attack such cells that our innate immune system previously missed (1, 2).

At Cerba Research, we have ample experience with a wide range of I/O mechanisms, drug classes, specialty testing, and clinically relevant biomarkers. Get in touch to learn more.

Cerba Research I/O Services

In the past 5 years, Cerba Research has performed 65+ I/O projects. Most of our projects include specialty testing, such as, but not limited to, PD-L1 detection, tumor mutational burden (TMB), mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) status. Many of these studies were performed in solid tumors, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, and colorectal cancer (CRC).

Mechanism Of Action (MOA)

Checkpoint inhibitors (CKI)
T lymphocyte stimulants
Antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity
TIGIT protein inhibitors
Cereblon E3 ligase
CXCR4 antagonists
Anti-CTLA4s
PD-1 antagonists

Class

Monoclocal antibodies (mAbs)
Small molecules
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)
Prodrugs

55%+ In Solids

Indications:

Solid tumors
Multiple myeloma
Lymphomas
Aggressive B-cell
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
CRC
NSCLC
Melanoma

75%+ Specialty

75%+ with specialty testing project type, such as PD-L1 IHC

Histoprofile^® PD-L1 panel: PD-L1 (Green), panCK (Red), CD68 (Orange)

IHC Validation: PD-L1 (22C3) Pharmdx On NSCLC (Dako Omnis Platform)

Multiplex NK Cells: CD3 (Red)/CD56 (Orange)/CD16 (Green)

Histoprofile® TReg Light: CD3/CD8/FoxP3

Our Experience In The I/O Landscape

~55%

Of our I/O trials are in solid tumors

~75%

Of I/O trials involve specialty testing

638

NGS broad-panel assay with our OncoSign 600+

250+

Histopathology analysis with markers such as PD-L1, dMMR, MSI-H run in CLIA accredited laboratories

Our Areas Of Expertise In I/O

Did you know that we can cover your I/O biomarker needs? Check out our mapping exercise by select solid tumor aligned with our Cerba Research offerings (next-generation sequencing (NGS) and IHC) (3, 4). Interested in artificial intelligence (AI) image analysis for your I/O trial? Check out our resources here.

What Are I/0 Biomarkers Guidelines Proposing By Solid Tumor Types? Aligned With Cerba Research Offerings

Select I/O Biomarkers	Select Solid Tumor Type (3, 4)	Most Commonly Deployed (3, 4)	Additional Assay(s) (3)	Cerba Research NGS	Cerba Research IHC
PD-L1	Bladder, Breast, Head & Neck (H&N), Kidney, Lung, Melanoma, Prostate	IHC			X (Clones 22C3, SP142, SP263, Multiplexed)
TMB	Lung, Breast, Bladder, Cervical, Colon, H&N, Melanoma, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate	NGS		X
dMMR / MSI-H	Breast, Cervical, Colon, H&N, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate	NGS, IHC	PCR	X	X

Select I/O Biomarkers

Select Solid Tumor Type (3, 4)	Bladder, Breast, Head & Neck (H&N), Kidney, Lung, Melanoma, Prostate
Most Commonly Deployed (3, 4)	IHC
Additional Assay(s) (3)
Cerba Research NGS
Cerba Research IHC	X (Clones 22C3, SP142, SP263, Multiplexed)

Select I/O Biomarkers

Select Solid Tumor Type (3, 4)	Lung, Breast, Bladder, Cervical, Colon, H&N, Melanoma, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate
Most Commonly Deployed (3, 4)	NGS
Additional Assay(s) (3)
Cerba Research NGS	X
Cerba Research IHC

Select I/O Biomarkers

Select Solid Tumor Type (3, 4)	Breast, Cervical, Colon, H&N, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate
Most Commonly Deployed (3, 4)	NGS, IHC
Additional Assay(s) (3)	PCR
Cerba Research NGS	X
Cerba Research IHC	X

References

1. Finn OJ. Immuno-oncology: understanding the function and dysfunction of the immune system in cancer. Ann Oncol. 2012 Sep;23 Suppl 8(Suppl 8):viii6-9. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mds256. PMID: 22918931; PMCID: PMC4085883.

2. Eggermont A, Finn O. Advances in immuno-oncology. Foreword. Ann Oncol. 2012 Sep;23 Suppl 8:viii5. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mds255. PMID: 22918929.

3. National Comprehensive Cancer Network®: NCCN guidelines, treatment by cancer type. URL [Treatment by Cancer Type (nccn.org)].

4. Yip S, Christofides A, Banerji S, Downes MR, Izevbaye I, Lo B, MacMillan A, McCuaig J, Stockley T, Yousef GM, Spatz A. A Canadian guideline on the use of next-generation sequencing in oncology. Curr Oncol. 2019 Apr;26(2):e241-e254. doi: 10.3747/co.26.4731. Epub 2019 Apr 1. PMID: 31043833; PMCID: PMC6476432.