A tumor destruction technique that triggers immune responses–where iFRET revealed dynamic checkpoint engagement changes.
RFA was developed as a minimally invasive alternative to surgical resection for liver and lung metastases. But observations of rare distant tumor regression after local RFA–the abscopal effect–suggested immune involvement.
Thermal destruction releases tumor antigens, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and inflammatory signals that can prime T cell responses against residual disease. This insight led to ongoing trials combining RFA with checkpoint inhibitorsLoading....
How It Works: Radiofrequency ablation uses radio wave-generated heat to destroy tumors. A needle electrode inserted into the tumor heats it to lethal temperatures.
Immune Effects: Beyond local destruction, RFA releases tumor antigens and may trigger systemic immune responses against remaining tumor cells.
In a 2022 study, iFRETLoading... was applied to lung metastases from colorectal cancer patients treated with RFA. The goal: understand how thermal ablation affects immune checkpoint engagement in residual disease.
Results showed dynamic changes in PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4/CD80 interaction states after RFA–changes invisible to expression-based assayLoading...s. This mechanistic insight suggests functional biomarkers could guide RFA-immunotherapy combinations.
The 2022 Study: QF-Pro was used to measure both PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4/CD80 engagement in lung metastases before and after RFA treatment.
Key Finding: Checkpoint engagement could be tracked over time with treatment, demonstrating iFRET's potential for monitoring immune dynamics.
