The invention pertains to biomarkers for identifying a
cancer that is likely or not likely to evade the
immune system of a subject, thus, is likely or not likely to show better prognosis (prognostic biomarker) and / or better responses to
cancer therapies (
predictive biomarker). The invention provides a method of identifying a subject as having a
cancer that is likely to evade the
immune system of the subject based on one or more of the following biomarkers in the cancer cells of the subject: a) reduced amount of NLRC5 mRNA or
protein; b) reduced activity of NLRC5
protein; c) a
mutation that reduces the activity of NLRC5
protein; d) increased
methylation of nlrc5 or a portion thereof; and e) reduced copy number of nlrc5. These variables are useful to predict both
patient survival (prognostic biomarker) and patient responses to immunotherapies (
predictive biomarker). Furthermore, this invention provides a method of identifying a subject as having a cancer that is likely to evade the
immune system of the subject with greater prediction power by utilizing multiple variables, in addition to above a)-e) variables, including neoantigen load,
mutation number, or expression of genes involved in immune responses, including but not limited to CTLA4, PD1, PD-L1 and PD-L2. The invention also pertains to a method of treating a cancer likely to evade the immune
system of the subject by administering an
immunotherapy and a therapy designed to activate the
MHC class I antigen presentation pathway by activating the expression and / or activity of NLRC5 protein.