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[Progress in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies].
1Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
[Rinsho Ketsueki] the Japanese Journal of Clinical Hematology
|October 11, 2019
Summary
Immune checkpoint blockers show limited response rates and increased side effects. Reverse translational research (rTR) is crucial for understanding resistance and developing better cancer immunotherapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) like ipilimumab have been approved since 2011 for treating cancers such as malignant melanoma.
- Despite approvals, ICBs exhibit response rates below 30% in many cancers, and combination therapies, while increasing efficacy, also raise immune-related adverse events.
- Understanding resistance mechanisms is critical for improving cancer immunotherapy outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review immunological findings on cancer resistance mechanisms against immune checkpoint blockers.
- To discuss novel therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming resistance to current immunotherapies.
- To highlight the role of reverse translational research (rTR) in advancing cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of immunological findings related to cancer resistance to ICBs.
- Analysis of clinical data and patient specimens from immunotherapy-treated patients.
- Exploration of novel combination therapies and treatment strategies.
Main Results:
- Limited efficacy and increased adverse events are observed with current immune checkpoint blockers.
- Reverse translational research (rTR) is instrumental in elucidating resistance mechanisms and identifying predictive biomarkers.
- Novel combination therapies are being developed to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome resistance.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockers in cancer treatment.
- Reverse translational research (rTR) plays a vital role in guiding the development of next-generation immunotherapies.
- Developing novel therapeutic strategies and combination therapies holds promise for improving patient outcomes in cancer immunotherapy.
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