OncoHost Unveils Proteomic Aging Biomarkers for Immunotherapy Response Prediction at AACR 2026

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OncoHost, a precision oncology technology company, will present groundbreaking research on proteomic aging biomarkers at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego. The study demonstrates how biological aging patterns can predict immunotherapy outcomes across multiple cancer types, potentially transforming patient stratification strategies.

Novel Approach to Cancer Biomarker Development

The research, titled "Proteomic aging biomarkers predict survival in immunotherapy-treated tumors," explores the application of plasma proteomics to quantify biological aging and its clinical implications. By leveraging organismal and organ-specific proteomic aging models, the study evaluates how aging-related biological processes correlate with tumor characteristics, patient characteristics, and treatment outcomes.

"This research expands our understanding of how systemic and organ-specific aging processes influence cancer biology and response to immunotherapy," said Michal Harel, Ph.D., VP Translational Medicine at OncoHost and lead author of the study. "By capturing both systemic biological aging and organ-specific aging across multiple tissues, we are uncovering clinically relevant signals that go beyond traditional biomarkers and may help refine patient stratification."

Significant Findings Across Cancer Types

The study analyzed deep plasma proteomic profiles from patients with metastatic solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and melanoma, alongside healthy controls. Results demonstrated that cancer patients exhibit significantly elevated biological age compared to healthy individuals, with lung age gap highest in NSCLC and SCLC, and kidney age gap most significant in RCC.

Organ-specific aging patterns were associated with relevant comorbidities, reinforcing the systemic nature of cancer-related aging. This finding suggests that the aging process in cancer extends beyond the tumor itself to affect multiple organ systems.

Prognostic Value for Immunotherapy Outcomes

The most clinically significant finding relates to immune-specific aging and its impact on immunotherapy response. Among patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, those with a high immune age gap had significantly shorter overall survival compared to those with a low immune age gap, with median overall survival of 16.4 versus 31.8 months (HR=0.67, p<0.0001).

The prognostic effect varied substantially by cancer type. The strongest signal was observed in melanoma patients (HR = 0.27, p = 0.0007), while no effect was detected in SCLC patients (HR = 0.87, p = 0.65). This variation potentially reflects differences in tumor immunogenicity across cancer types.

Clinical Implications and Future Directions

"Being selected to present at AACR highlights the power of moving beyond tumor-centric thinking," said Ofer Sharon, MD, CEO of OncoHost. "By quantifying biological aging across the body, and specifically the immune system, we are uncovering a new layer of insight into cancer progression and treatment response - one that has the potential to transform how we guide immunotherapy, ultimately enabling more informed treatment decisions and improved patient outcomes."

The research builds upon OncoHost's existing precision medicine platform, PROphet®, which is a plasma-based, proteomic pattern analysis tool. The company's initial offering in NSCLC uses a single blood sample to guide first-line immunotherapy decision-making through the PROphetNSCLC® test.

AACR Presentation Details

The poster will be presented on Monday, April 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM PDT during the "Biomarkers Predictive of Therapeutic Benefit 3" session. The presentation will be delivered by Michal Harel, PhD, VP Translational Medicine, and Adam Dicker, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at OncoHost.

OncoHost is supported by a large-scale prospective clinical trial with over 40 sites and 1,700 patients recruited worldwide, positioning the company to advance precision diagnostics and biomarker development in oncology.

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