진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

KEYWORDS: bioinformatics, metagenomics, metabolomics, cancer, machine learning, artificial intelligence

Principal Investigator: dr hab. Natalia Szóstak

Research topic: Prediction of response to immunotherapy in melanoma using metabolic signatures of the gut mycobiome.

I. Project description

The main objective of the project is to develop novel, interpretable predictive models for response to immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma, based on the functional activity of gut fungi (mycobiota) and their metabolites. Current research indicates that the gut microbiome plays a significant role in modulating immune responses and the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies; however, most existing studies focus on bacteria and taxonomic descriptions, which offer limited predictive power and poor biological interpretability. This project focuses on the underexplored fungal component of the microbiome, which exhibits distinct metabolic capacities and the ability to interact with both the host immune system and bacterial communities. It is hypothesised that the functional and metabolic properties of the gut mycobiota, rather than its taxonomic composition alone, may represent a key determinant of response to immunotherapy. The analyses will be conducted on a cohort of patients with advanced melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-1 therapy), using metagenomic, metabolomic, and clinical data. Integration of these datasets will enable the identification of metabolic pathways and metabolites associated with treatment efficacy, as well as the development of machine learning models with high predictive performance and strong biological interpretability. The ultimate aim of the project is to move from descriptive microbiome analyses towards a functional and mechanistic understanding of the role of the gut mycobiota in modulating anti-tumour immune responses, and to identify potential non-invasive biomarkers of immunotherapy response, which may contribute to the development of precision oncology.

Research shall be carried out within the 2025/59/D/NZ2/00484 NCN project entitled “Prediction of response to immunotherapy in melanoma using metabolic signatures of the gut mycobiome”, funded by National Science Centre.