Sinapsos Podcast | Oncology

E32   |  18 min   |   Latest   |  Publication Link

• Podcast based on: Katifelis, H.; Zerva, S.; Bamias, A.; Karamouzis, M.V.; Stravodimos, K.; Sechi, L.A.; Lampropoulou, D.; Pliakou, E.; Gazouli, M. Circulating ERVFRD-1 and MFSD2A Are Associated with Immunotherapy Response in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancers 2026, 18, 716. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040716
  Type: Article  |  Publication date: 23 February 2026
  
  
• Summary: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have improved outcomes for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC). However, many patients do not respond to treatment. Therefore, reliable biomarkers associated with therapeutic response are urgently needed. Blood-based biomarkers offer a non-invasive alternative to tissue analysis. In this study, we investigated the expression of two immunity-related genes, ERVFRD-1 and MFSD2A, in peripheral blood samples from mccRCC patients receiving PD-1-based treatment. Both genes were dysregulated compared with healthy controls and demonstrated differential baseline expression between patients who achieved clinical benefit and those with progressive disease. Patients with progressive disease exhibited decreased expression of ERVFRD-1 and increased expression of MFSD2A. These findings suggest that ERVFRD-1 and MFSD2A may serve as candidate blood-based biomarkers associated with response to ICI, although confirmation in larger prospective studies is required.
  
  
• Keywords: ccRCC; immunotherapy; ICIs; PD-1; TKI; ;

License and disclaimer:
Original article © 2026 by the authors. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This episode is an AI-generated audio adaptation of the article: the script and the voices are synthetic, changes were made, and the adaptation is not endorsed by the authors, the journal, or the publisher. It may contain errors or omissions, so consult the original publication before relying on any detail. It is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. The creators accept no liability for any use of this content.