# Molecular indicators of treatment responses and adverse events in melanoma

> **NIH NIH F31** · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $32,820

## Abstract

Project Summary/ Abstract
Driver mutations enhance the growth, invasion and metastasis of melanoma. In addition to oncogenic drivers,
melanoma escape immune recognition by activation of inhibitory immune checkpoint pathways. Based on this
knowledge, treatment of melanoma with inhibitors of activated BRAF plus downstream MEK have shown
efficacy and survival benefits in metastatic disease. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have also demonstrated
striking efficacy in melanoma and the combination of anti-PD-1 with anti-CTLA-4 (nivolumab, nivo; ipilimimab,
ipi) produces tumor responses in more than half of melanoma patients. However, drug resistant
subpopulations emerge in a relatively short time after BRAF/MEK inhibitor treatment and result in disease
relapse. Immune checkpoint blockade frequently causes immune-related Adverse Effects (irAEs) due to the
disruption of the self-tolerance of normal tissues requiring immunosuppressive treatment. It is unclear to what
extent immunosuppressive treatment to control irAEs, may compromise the anti-tumor activity of the immune
checkpoint blockade. Thus, there is an unmet need for real-time detection of tumor response and resistance as
well as the onset of treatment-related irAEs. Here I propose to monitor anti-tumor efficacy as well as organ-
specific irAEs using cell-free DNA analysis from serial blood samples obtained before and at regular intervals
during and after treatment of patients with BRAF mutant metastatic melanoma. In a randomized trial patients
first receive either a BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination or nivo/ipi and are switched to the other arm upon
disease recurrence or toxicity. Serial blood samples are collected at defined intervals. Under Aim 1, I propose
to monitor changes in circulating cell-free mutant DNA patterns as a readout of anti-tumor treatment efficacy
and resistance. Under Aim 2, I propose to assess autoimmune organ damage by monitoring changes in the
abundance of circulating cell-free tissue-specific methylated DNA. The readouts from the changes in these
molecular markers will be compared with clinical observations in the trial. The studies will establish non-
invasive detection of molecular changes during treatment that indicate incipient drug resistance and irAEs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9994860
- **Project number:** 5F31CA235970-03
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Martinez Roth
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $32,820
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-11 → 2021-09-10

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9994860

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9994860, Molecular indicators of treatment responses and adverse events in melanoma (5F31CA235970-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9994860. Licensed CC0.

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