Functional Capabilities of the Gut Microbiome in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Responses

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, or ICIs, are a powerful new treatment option for a variety of tumors, but efficacy varies between patients and mild to life-threatening side effects can occur. The bacteria that reside in a patient's gut have been shown to impact ICI efficacy and to predict the development of colitis side-effects, but it is not clear specifically which bacteria impact ICI response or toxicity.

We propose to create a large, multi-institution repository of oral and stool samples from cancer patients undergoing ICI therapy. We will then use cutting-edge technology and data analysis tools, and the power of cloud computing, to detail the genetic content of gut-localized bacteria (the microbiome) in individual patients and how they are associated with clinical outcomes. We expect to accomplish fast and accurate data analysis and visualization at each study site, allowing researchers and clinicians to identify potential mechanistic drivers of ICI efficacy and toxicity, and thereby advance promising strategies to improve clinical outcomes for patients.