Gut microbiome functional pathways outperform taxonomic profiles in predicting immune checkpoint inhibitor response in non-small cell lung cancer: an interpretable machine learning approach with SHAP - Scorecard - MDSpire

Gut microbiome functional pathways outperform taxonomic profiles in predicting immune checkpoint inhibitor response in non-small cell lung cancer: an interpretable machine learning approach with SHAP

  • By

  • Feifei Wei

  • Yoshiro Nakahara

  • Junya Isobe

  • Yuka Igarashi

  • Haruhiro Saito

  • Shuji Murakami

  • Tetsuro Kondo

  • Hidetomo Himuro

  • Taku Kouro

  • Tomoya Matsui

  • Satoshi Wada

  • Takuya Tsunoda

  • Kiyoshi Yoshimura

  • Tetsuro Sasada

  • May 15, 2026

  • 0 min

Share

Clinical Scorecard: Functional Pathways of the Gut Microbiome Exceed Taxonomic Profiles in Predicting Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Interpretable Machine Learning Analysis Using SHAP

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionNon-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Key MechanismsGut microbiome functional profiles influence immune checkpoint inhibitor responses.
Target PopulationJapanese individuals diagnosed with NSCLC undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Care SettingKanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan.

Key Highlights

  • Functional profiles from MetaCyc pathways significantly correlate with treatment response.
  • A signature of four metabolic pathways predicts immune checkpoint inhibitor responses.
  • Taxonomic characteristics are less predictive than functional microbiome profiles.
  • Machine learning models enhance understanding of gut microbiome's role in treatment outcomes.
  • SHAP analysis provides interpretability for predictive models.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • Evaluate gut microbiome characteristics for predicting treatment responses in NSCLC.

Management

  • Consider metabolic pathway signatures for precision intervention strategies.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Monitor changes in gut microbiome functional profiles during treatment.

Risks

  • Inconsistent clinical responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors may occur.

Patient & Prescribing Data

77 Japanese individuals with NSCLC receiving ICIs.

Functional gut microbiome profiles may guide treatment personalization.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Utilize functional microbiome assessments alongside traditional diagnostics.
  • Incorporate machine learning approaches to enhance predictive capabilities.
  • Focus on metabolic pathways for understanding treatment interactions.

Related Resources & Content

Original Source(s)

Related Content