Dr. Daud on Interferon Gamma as a Biomarker in Melanoma

Adil Daud, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology) and director, Melanoma Clinical Research, University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses research evaluating interferon gamma as a potential biomarker of response in melanoma.

When a patient’s T cells attack tumor cells, they produce PD-L1, says Daud. The production of PD-L1 is a way for the tumor to signal that it is in distress, he explains. Additionally, when T cells attack the tumor, they produce interferon gamma, which is a cytokine that plays a key role in inducing and modulating immune response.

Because PD-L1 is not a perfect biomarker, interferon gamma-related gene expression in the tumor has been evaluated as a potential surrogate marker for PD-L1 expression, adds Daud. However, researchers have come to the conclusion that interferon gamma is about as predictive as PD-L1 is. As such, interferon gamma is considered to be a complimentary biomarker to PD-L1, concludes Daud.