CTLA-4: a promising immunosuppressive immune checkpoint in prostate cancer therapy

Prostate cancer (PCa) continues to represent a substantial public health issue and constitutes one of the foremost etiologies of mortality among men, with increasing incidence rates observed in both developing and industrialized regions. Conventional treatment methods, including surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, often yield unacceptable results. Consequently, there is an urgent requirement for the advancement of innovative and more efficacious therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy offers a compelling and innovative approach to treating PCa by strengthening the immune system's capacity to recognize and eliminate neoplastic cells, suppress recurrence, and prevent metastatic progression. Among immunotherapeutic methods, targeting immune checkpoints has proven to be a notably efficacious approach. CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4) is an immune checkpoint molecule expressed on activated T lymphocytes that play a crucial role in regulating the cell cycle, controlling T cell proliferation, and modulating cytokine secretion. Currently, anti-CTLA-4 agents are extensively utilized in clinical research studies across various cancer types. These monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), whether administered either as a standalone therapy or in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities, have significantly enhanced the immune system's ability to suppress cancerous cells as well as have contributed to improved cancer outcomes. Thus, immune checkpoint inhibitors could hold considerable promise for PCa therapy, either as standalone treatments or alongside conventional approaches. In this review, we investigate the function of CTLA-4, and the therapeutic prospects of its inhibition in the context of PCa management.