Joining forces with QUADRAM Institute Bioscience and University of Bristol for the project CALADRIO

We are delighted to announce the new scientific collaboration with Quadram Institute of Bioscience (QIB), and the University of Bristol.

The research agreement involves the group of Dr. Tim Robinson at University of Bristol, and the groups of Prof. Lindsay Hall and Prof. Stephen Robinson at QIB.

Dr. Tim Robinson’s laboratory analyzes genomic and epigenetics risk factors in breast cancer, where they are currently investigating molecular factors that could help to predict patient response to chemotherapy. Prof. Hall and Prof. Robinson’s research teams explore the host/microbiota crosstalk, with a special interest on how microbes can beneficially impact host responses and immune regulation.

This collaboration will be initially focused on the CALADRIO project, aimed at investigating microbiota as a predictor of response to immunotherapy in patients with luminal metastatic breast cancer (MBC). CALADRIO originates as a sub-study of the KELLY trial, which assessed the efficacy and safety of eribulin combined with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab in HR+ / HER2- MBC. KELLY patients experienced a clinical benefit independently of their PD-L1 status, hence suggesting that additional biomarkers to PD-L1 would be required to properly identify the best responders to immunotherapy.

Recently, varied reports have shown that the gut microbiome influences the outcome of cancer therapy by modulating the host inflammatory response, suggesting a direct correlation between microbiota-mediated immune reactions and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab. Through the analysis of oral and fecal samples from the 44 patients enrolled in KELLY, CALADRIO was conceived to decipher the complex interplay between the microbiota, the immune system, and the response to pembrolizumab-based treatment.

At MEDSIR, we strongly believe that the combined expertise of the three groups will be key to optimizing the analysis and interpretation of the samples from CALADRIO; shedding light on the role of microbiota as a possible biomarker of response to immunotherapy.

Thanks to CALADRIO, MEDSIR hopes to move one step forward in personalized medicine, helping clinicians to tailor medical treatments to the individual characteristics of each patient. Contact us for more information.