Micorscope is used by researcher who use her hands holding and adjusting while science research in laboratory Researchers at University of Alberta have uncovered a link between the expression of the protein galectin-9 (gal-9) and whether a cancer patient will benefit from immunotherapy. The discovery could help inform physicians about which patients will likely respond to immunotherapy, and lead to better treatment options. Shokrollah Elahi, a member of the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta (CRINA), collaborated with oncology professor John Walker on Phase 2 clinical trial that examined 40 patients with virus-associated solid tumours (VASTs) who were put on immunotherapy. They found there was a direct link between patients with high levels of gal-9 and those who had a poor prognosis and did not respond to immunotherapy. Further, patients with lower levels of gal-9 responded better to treatment.