Researchers develop tumor "avatar" model that predicts immunotherapy response with 93% accuracy

Researchers at Elephas Biosciences, in collaboration with academic centers, created an ex vivo tumor "avatar" from patient biopsies to test how tumors respond to immunotherapy.

They exposed 124 tumor samples to a range of immunotherapies and measured cytokine release, identifying an eight‑cytokine panel that signals an immune attack.

When the panel was applied to 28 additional tumor samples from head and neck, lung, breast, bladder and kidney cancers, it correctly predicted response in 93% of cases and identified 83% of the objective responders.

The team says the method could shift precision oncology from a one‑way model to a two‑way conversation, helping clinicians choose the most effective immunotherapy for each patient.