Aqtual's New Blood Test Identifies Immunotherapy Response in Sarcoma Patients
Aqtual, Inc., a precision medicine company, has announced the development of a new blood-based test that can simultaneously evaluate immune, stromal, and tumor-associated genomic biology. This test, presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, aims to noninvasively monitor dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment and emerging mechanisms of treatment resistance in sarcoma patients. The study, conducted by researchers at UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, involved a cohort of 30 patients with advanced leiomyosarcoma treated with durvalumab-based combination therapy. The test identified biological features associated with clinical benefit, including immune-associated programs and stromal remodeling signatures. The findings suggest that this approach could help identify which patients are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy, providing a significant advancement in the treatment of sarcoma, where traditional biopsy methods are often challenging. 
