SQSTM1/p62 Biomarker for Checkpoint Immunotherapy Response

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing immunotherapies for cancer, particularly those targeting immune checkpoints, exhibit limited efficacy in many cancers, with 80% of patients developing innate or acquired resistance, necessitating a biomarker to predict response and develop targeted therapies.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing the SQSTM1/p62 protein as a predictive marker to modulate the response to immunotherapy, chemotherapy, or their combination by evaluating its expression levels in tumor samples, enabling personalized treatment strategies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints is administered to cancer patients, then anti-tumor immune response is enhanced, but 80% of patients develop innate or acquired resistance reducing treatment efficacy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment efficacyVSAvoidtumor resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by evaluating SQSTM1/p62 protein expression levels in tumor samples before administering immunotherapy. This pre-treatment assessment allows clinicians to predict which patients are likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitor therapy, enabling selective treatment assignment that avoids exposing resistant patients to ineffective therapy and identifies responsive patients who will benefit from the treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If SQSTM1/p62 protein expression is evaluated in tumor samples, then predictive accuracy for immunotherapy response is improved, but additional diagnostic testing increases treatment complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse prediction accuracyVSAvoiddiagnostic testing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex functional assays and multiple biomarker evaluations with a single protein expression measurement of SQSTM1/p62. This substitution simplifies the diagnostic workflow by using a straightforward immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence-based detection method that provides predictive information without requiring complex experimental procedures or multiple testing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If personalized treatment strategies based on SQSTM1/p62 expression are implemented, then treatment efficacy is enhanced for responsive patients, but identification and characterization of predictive biomarkers increases research and diagnostic complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment efficacyVSAvoidbiomarker identification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the predictive information from complex tumor biology by focusing on a single key protein marker, SQSTM1/p62. This extraction approach isolates the critical predictive element from the overwhelming complexity of tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironment interactions, providing a practical and implementable biomarker that can be measured using standard laboratory techniques without requiring sophisticated multi-omics analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250277794A1Sqstm1 and its use in cancer therapy

Publication Date: 2025.09.04 CENT NAT DE LA RECH SCI (C N R S)

AI summary

The invention relates to the use of a SQSTM1/p62 protein for modulating and predicting the response to: —an immunotherapy against immune checkpoint inhibitors: or—a combination of an immunotherapy, preferably an ICI, and a chemotherapy