The full form of TMB in immunology is Tumor Mutational Burden.
TMB is a measure of the number of somatic mutations present in a tumor's DNA. It is a valuable biomarker in cancer immunotherapy as it reflects the tumor's ability to stimulate an immune response.
Tumors with a high TMB (TMB-H) often have a higher chance of responding to immunotherapy, like checkpoint inhibitors.
This is because the mutations create novel proteins that are recognized as foreign by the immune system. These proteins trigger the immune system to attack the tumor cells.
In contrast, tumors with a low TMB (TMB-L) may have fewer mutations and therefore are less likely to be recognized by the immune system.
Some examples of how TMB is used in immunology include:
- Predicting response to immunotherapy: Patients with TMB-H tumors are more likely to respond to immunotherapy than patients with TMB-L tumors.
- Developing personalized cancer therapies: By understanding the TMB of a tumor, doctors can choose the most effective treatment for each patient.
- Monitoring the effectiveness of immunotherapy: TMB levels can be measured before, during, and after immunotherapy to assess the effectiveness of the treatment.
