[Immunotherapy in lung cancer: New concepts]

Improvements in knowledge about the complexity of the tumor microenvironment have paved the way for a revolution in lung cancer treatment with the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors. The immune checkpoints negatively regulate immune cells and lead to a dormant state: the immune cells are then unable to interact effectively with their targets. The immune checkpoint inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that block immune checkpoints and permit reactivation of the immune response against the tumor. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective as monotherapy, several other immune targets exist. The better understanding of the involvement of these new targets in the immune response against tumors is leading to the design of new compounds and new therapeutic approaches.