Impact of Māori Genomic BVD on TMB/MSI in Māori and Pasifika Cancer Patients

Impact of Māori Genomic BVD on TMB/MSI in Māori and Pasifika Cancer Patients

Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Kura

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland

Māori Cancer Researcher Awards – Master’s Scholarship

This research aims to improve the accuracy of genomic testing when used to predict the response and benefit of cancer treatment. Genomic tests can be used to guide treatment decisions and predict how likely a cancer will respond to treatment. However, such tests currently rely on global DNA databases that lack representation from Indigenous populations. If the natural variability of underserved populations, like Māori and Pasifika peoples, is not considered when interpreting these tests, there is a risk that we lose the promised precision of these tests for those communities.

Pilot results from my summer studentship showed that interpretation of tumour genomes using global databases overinflated genomic scores, such as the tumour mutational burden (TMB) – a measure of the number of DNA changes in a sequence that can hint at whether that cancer might respond well to immunotherapy. This project aims to build on that observation and enhance the accuracy and reliability of genomic tests by using a Māori background variant database (BVD). In doing so, we are working to address technical barriers that could widen health inequities, while building capacity for Indigenous genomic research, and ultimately ensuring cancer care is precise for all patients in Aotearoa.