Competing interests

J.A.W. is an inventor on a US patent application (PCT/US17/53.717) submitted by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center that covers methods to enhance immune checkpoint blockade responses by modulating the microbiome. J.A.W. reports compensation for speaker’s bureau and honoraria from Imedex, Dava Oncology, Omniprex, Illumina, Gilead, PeerView, Physician Education Resource, MedImmune and Bristol-Myers Squibb. J.A.W. serves as a consultant/advisory board member for Roche/Genentech, Novartis, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Biothera Pharmaceuticals and Microbiome DX. J.A.W. also receives research support from GlaxoSmithKline, Roche/Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Novartis. J.A.W., S.M.R. and B.A.H. are co-inventors on an unpublished patent application related to methods of targeting B cells to enhance response to immune checkpoint blockade. M.T.T. reports advisory board participation and speaker paid honorarium from Nanostring and Myriad Genetics. M.A.D. serves as a paid consultant for BMS, Novartis, and Roche/Genentech. M.A.D. also reports to be a principal investigator of a research grant from Roche/Genentech and an unpaid consultant to Nanostring. C.U.B. reports an advisory role in BMS, MSD, Roche, Novartis, GSK, AZ, Pfizer, GenMab and Pierre Fabre. C.U.B. receives research funding from BMS, Novartis and Nanostring. C.U.B. reports stock ownership from Uniti Cars and Neon Therapeutics. N.H. is a founder, stockholder and SAB member of Neon Therapeutics. W.H.F. serves as a consultant for AstraZeneca, Ipsen, Adaptimmune, OxfordBiotherapeutics, and Catalym. W.H.F. reports participation in data transparency committee for Servier and data management committee for Novartis. O.K. receives grant support from BMS. J.E.G. is a contributor of UpToDate-melanoma staging and prognosis. J.E.G. reports to be an unpaid member of Melanoma Research Foundation and Melanoma Research Alliance. J.E.G. reports to be on advisory board of Merck. R.K. reports to be scientific founder, stockholder and consultant of Codiak Biosciences. A.J.L. reports consultancies and research support from BMS, Genentech/Roche and MedImmune/Astra-Zeneca. P.S. reports a patent licensed to Jounce Therapeutics. P.S. serves as a consultant for Constellation, Jounce Therapeutics, Neon, BioAtla, Pieris, Oncolytics, Forty-Seven, Polaris, Apricity, Marker, Codiak, ImaginAb, Hummingbird, Dragonfly, Lytix and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). P.S. has ownership interests in Jounce Therapeutics, Neon, Constellation, Oncolytics, BioAtla, Forty-Seven, Apricity, Polaris, Marker, Codiak, ImaginAb, Hummingbird, Dragonfly and Lytix. L.H.B. reports to be on StemImmune/Calidi Scientific and Medical Advisory, Scientific Advisory Board of BoardNextCure, Replimmune, Western Oncolytics, Torque Therapeutics Khloris, Pyxis, Cytomix. L.H.B. reports to be Chair of Food and Drug Administration Cellular, Tissues and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee. R.Z. reports a patent application related to work on GITR, PD1 and CTLA4. R.Z. is a consultant for Leap Therapeutics. P.H. is on advisory board for Dragonfly, GlaxoSmithKline, Immatics and Sanofi. S.W., S.O. and M.B. are employees and stockholders of NanoString Technologies. All other authors report no competing interests directly relevant to this work.