At Global Voices in Renal Oncology (VIRO) 2025, organized by OncoDaily, Dr. David Braun, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, delivered a talk on “Evolution of Biomarker in the Frontline”.
He emphasized that biomarker research in kidney cancer is rapidly evolving, spanning histology, genomic profiling, circulating factors, and even molecular imaging. Histology remains one of the strongest predictors of outcome, with sarcomatoid and rhabdoid features consistently associated with superior responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, as shown both in clinical trials like CheckMate 214 and in real-world cohorts.
He noted that the tumor microenvironment also plays a pivotal role. Patients with high levels of antigen-experienced but not terminally exhausted CD8 T-cells respond particularly well to immunotherapy, while those with elevated PD-1–positive Tregs fare substantially worse. This highlights the critical balance between effector and regulatory immune populations, which may guide future treatment strategies, including combinations designed to deplete Tregs.
Join us in the conversation.