The results of two landmark studies conducted at McGill University investigating the immune environments of lung and brain tumors were published today in the journal Nature. This work was carried out under the direction of Logan Walsh, Daniela Quail and Peter Siegel, from the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, and Philippe Joubert from Université Laval. The studies used a novel highly multiplexed imaging technique to create sophisticated immune atlases for lung and brain tumors, and demonstrate the crucial role that big data and artificial intelligence will play in the future of clinical care and research on cancer.
Spatial representation of the immune microenvironment of lung tumors
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Quebec and Canada, claiming more victims than prostate, colon and breast cancers combined.
In a recent collaborative study, scientists from the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (ICG) at McGill University, the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ) at the Université Laval and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) have defined the cellular composition and spatial organization of the immune microenvironment for more than 475 tumours. The study involved lung cancer patients and used a highly multiplexed imaging technique.
“Our study illustrates how technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), can help us improve clinical decision-making for cancer patients. We demonstrate that AI can accurately determine which patients are likely to relapse after surgery, so that we can not only identify patients who need further treatment, but also, and importantly, those who no longer need treatment, so as to avoid unnecessary side effects,” says Logan Walsh, Ph.D., professor at ICG and in the Department of Human Genetics.
“The predictive value of the tool we have developed is around 95%. We can therefore predict, with high certainty, a patient’s risk of recurrence from a tumor sample of just 1mm.2. Currently, we do not have such an effective predictive tool in the clinical setting,” adds Philippe Joubert, MD, Ph.D., thoracic pathologist at IUCPQ.
The samples come from the biobank of the IUCPQ (Quebec respiratory health research network) and the bank of biological samples and data in thoracic oncology (RI-MUHC). These unique resources exist thanks to the generosity of patients who agree to provide their tissues for research purposes.
Spatial representation of the immune microenvironment of primary and metastatic brain tumors
Brain tumors are among the fastest growing and most fatal cancers; patients rarely survive beyond two years.
Immune cells are known to influence the behavior of tumors and their response to treatment. However, their position and their interactions within larger cellular networks hold valuable information about how a tumor can evolve and affect prognosis.
“Our study analyzed the spatial organization of immune cells in the brain tumor environment and determined that a rare subset of immune cells, macrophages, has a surprising link to long-term survival. Our work has brought forward new immunotherapeutic possibilities in the treatment of brain tumors, for which the therapeutic options are limited and the prognosis extremely poor at present,” explains Daniela Quail, Ph.D., professor at the ‘ICG and the Department of Physiology.
“Our findings also offer valuable insights into the differences between the spatial organization of immune cells in primary brain tumors, which originate in the brain, and those found in brain metastases, which originate in other organs. Although these two types of brain tumors are found in the same milieu, they exhibit distinct immune environments, which may be associated with distinct responses to immunotherapy,” adds ICG Professor Peter Siegel, Ph.D. and in the Department of Medicine.
These two studies, which were carried out thanks to the major contributions of McGill surgeons and pathologists (including Dr. Marie-Christine Guiot and Dr. Kevin Petrecca, at the Montreal Neurological Institute, as well as Dr. Jonathan Spicer, Dr. Pierre-Olivier Fiset and Dr. Sophie Camilleri Broët at the RI-MUHC), attest to the strength of the ICG’s clinical network.
About studies
To read publications in Nature :
The authors thank the ICG Mass Cytometry and Histology Platforms for their technical support, as well as the Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative (BTFC), the Rosalind Goodman Chair in Lung Cancer Research, the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity (Mi4) and other organizations mentioned in publications for funding.
About the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute
The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University, is a world-renowned research institute that contributes to advances in the treatment of cancer and, ultimately, its healing. Our scientists and clinicians tackle the toughest problems in cancer research with a multidisciplinary approach supported by leading innovation platforms and dedicated research and administrative staff.
About McGill University
Founded in 1821, in Montreal, Quebec, McGill University is the top Canadian university offering medical and doctoral programs and ranks among the top universities in Canada and around the world. A world-renowned institution of higher education, McGill University carries out its research activities in three campuses, 11 faculties and 13 professional schools; it has 300 study programs and more than 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 at the graduate level. It welcomes students from more than 150 countries, with its 12,000 international students representing 30% of its student population. More than half of McGill University students have a first language other than English, and about 20% are French-speaking.
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