Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40633934›Full record

ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2025

Gene-expression signature predicts autoimmune toxicity in metastatic melanoma.

Domenico Mallardo, Mario Fordellone, Michael Bailey, Andrew White, Ester Simeone, Lucia Festino, Vito Vanella, Claudia Trojaniello, Maria Grazia Vitale, Margaret Ottaviano and 13 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Domenico MallardoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1081-5313
Mario FordelloneSalute Mentale e Fisica e Medicina Preventiva, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Napoli, Italy.
Michael BaileyResearch and Development, NanoString Technologies Inc, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Andrew WhiteResearch and Development, NanoString Technologies Inc, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Ester SimeoneUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Lucia FestinoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Vito VanellaUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Claudia TrojanielloUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Maria Grazia VitaleUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Margaret OttavianoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9589-0808
Mariaelena CaponeUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1352-2532
Caterina CostaUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Maria IngenitoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-6737-7736
Francesca SparanoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Bianca Arianna FacchiniUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy.
Ernesta CavalcantiDivision of Laboratory Medicine, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - Fondazione 'G. Pascale', Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6302-1579
Rosaria De FilippiDepartment of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Corrado CaracòDivision of Surgery of Melanoma and Skin Cancer, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - Fondazione 'G. Pascale', Naples, Italy.
Alessandra CesanoESSA Pharma, South San Francisco, California, USA.
Sarah WarrenESSA Pharma, South San Francisco, California, USA.
Paolo ChiodiniSalute Mentale e Fisica e Medicina Preventiva, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Napoli, Italy.
Alfredo BudillonScientifc Directorate, Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS - Fondazione 'G. Pascale', Naples, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6330-6053
Paolo A AsciertoUnit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, Naples, Italy paolo.ascierto@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8322-475X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo identify predictive gene-expression signatures for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 inhibitors, in the adjuvant therapy (AT) and first-line therapy (FLT).

methodsThis retrospective study analyzed baseline whole-blood gene expression profile from 161 patients with resected stage III or unresectable stage III-IV melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 inhibitors. RNA was extracted from baseline peripheral blood samples and profiled using the NanoString nCounter PanCancer IO 360 panel. Gene-expression signatures were identified and validated using cross-validated sparse partial least squares modeling and principal component analysis, then correlated with toxicity occurrence.

resultsA total of 223 and 186 irAEs were observed in the AT and FLT groups, respectively, including arthralgia, colitis, and headache. Distinct gene-expression signatures significantly predicted toxicity occurrence, with variation across therapy settings. Arthralgia was predicted by immune-related and apoptotic gene signatures (eg, SMAD5, FASLG in FLT; ICOS, TGFB2 in AT), while colitis was linked to inflammatory and adhesion-related pathways. In the AT group, headache was associated with genes involved in interferon and adhesion signaling. Across both cohorts, specific signatures predicted overall irAE risk and timing. No events were observed in patients with low-risk signatures over the follow-up period. In the FLT cohort, arthralgia and cutaneous toxicities were positively associated with ORR, while arthralgia, asthenia, colitis, fatigue, and skin-related toxicities correlated with improved disease control rate. No significant association between irAEs and relapse risk was observed in the adjuvant cohort.

conclusionsWhole-blood gene-expression profiling enables early identification of patients at high risk for irAEs during anti-PD-1 therapy. These predictive biomarkers may guide personalized toxicity monitoring in melanoma treatment.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsMelanomaSkin NeoplasmsTranscriptomeAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm MetastasisRetrospective StudiesImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsAdjuvantColitisHEADACHEImmune Checkpoint InhibitorMelanoma

Identifiers

PMID40633934
PMCPMC12243629

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.