AUTHOR=Levink Iris J. M. , Brosens Lodewijk A. A. , Rensen Sander S. , Aberle Merel R. , Olde Damink Steven S. W. , Cahen Djuna L. , Buschow Sonja I. , Fuhler Gwenny M. , Peppelenbosch Maikel P. , Bruno Marco J. 

TITLE=Neoantigen Quantity and Quality in Relation to Pancreatic Cancer Survival

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.751110

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.751110

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Factors underlying antitumor immunity in pancreatic cancer (PC) are poorly understood. We hypothesized that not neoantigen quantity, but quality is related to immune cell infiltration and survival. 

Methodology: We performed genomic and transcriptomic profiling of paired normal, tumor tissue of 13 PDAC patients with distinct survival times. Additionally, neoantigens prediction and immunological profiling was performed. 

Results: The proportion of neoantigens with a low similarity-to-self score was higher in short-term survivors (P<0.0001), while mutational load, and burden, similarity-to-known-pathogens and immunogenicity of neoantigens were not associated with immune cell infiltration or survival.

Discussion: Not tumor mutational load or neoantigen quantity, but a low similarity-to-self score was associated to immune cell infiltration and survival.