Association of Gut Microbiota and Immune Gene Expression with Response to Targeted Therapy in BRAF-mutated Melanoma

Gut microbiota has been associated with carcinogenesis and immune regulation. While there is evidence supporting its influence on immunotherapy response in melanoma, its impact on BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy remains unexplored. This study assessed gut microbiota composition and immune-associated genes in melanoma, to generate hypothesis on prognostic and predictive biomarkers for BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy. We hypothesize that GM composition may influence responses to treatment or toxicity in patients receiving iBRAF/MEK therapy. Specific microorganisms may serve as prognostic or predictive biomarkers of response, as well as of treatment-related adverse events. Additionally, genes associated with immune activation could further refine prognostic and predictive models. By identifying biomarkers for early prediction of response and microorganisms linked to treatment efficacy and toxicity, our findings aim to contribute to the development of microbiota-modulation strategies that could enhance therapeutic outcomes in specific contexts. Prospective, observational. 24 patients were analyzed for gene expression analyses and 20 patients for gut microbiota (01, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11,15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 - gut microbiota data available in the NCBI repository, accession number PRJNA1272598)