Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (GEP NENs) : The Role of Checkpoint Inhibitors

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Arrivi ◽  
Nicola Fazio

Background: The treatment options for GEP-NENs includes various drugs and is based on grading, morphology and location of the primary Objective: The aim of our work is to investigate the clinical impact of new immune checkpoint inhibitors in order to define a new possible strategy of use within GEP-NENs. Method: A scientific literature search from 2015 to January 2020 was performed by using PubMed and Embase: reviews and prospective or retrospective studies with a minimum of twenty patients were selected; conference proceedings were included Results: several studies have been conducted to assess the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in NENs, but nowadays the current knowledge in this field is mainly based on a phase I-II studies. Immunotherapy showed limited antitumor activity, but higher response rate was reported in poor-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors. No specific biomarkers were identified for patient selection and response assessment Conclusion: Immunotherapy appears as a powerful possibility to help our patients, but nowadays we see many gaps in this field. We must balance therapeutic possibility offered by precision oncology with the understanding the limitations of application of testing and treatment in clinical practice. Future efforts should focus on research of the best patients to candidate for immunotherapy in term of disease characteristics and previous treatments, and how to select them with accurate biomarkers.

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courèche Kaderbhaï ◽  
Zoé Tharin ◽  
François Ghiringhelli

Immune checkpoint inhibitors radically changed the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only one-quarter of patients benefit from these new therapies when used as monotherapy. The assessment of Program Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor expression by immunohistochemistry is used to select potential responder patients, but this not an optimal marker since it does not predict the absence of anti PD-1 efficacy. Despite this shortcoming, PD-L1 remains the gold standard biomarker in many studies and the only biomarker available for clinicians. In addition to histological markers, transcriptomic and exome analyses have revealed potential biomarkers requiring further confirmation. Recently, tumor mutational burden has emerged as a good surrogate marker of outcome. In this review we will detail current knowledge on DNA and RNA related biomarkers.


Immunotherapy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-432
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Di Nunno ◽  
Giacomo Nuvola ◽  
Mirta Mosca ◽  
Ilaria Maggio ◽  
Lidia Gatto ◽  
...  

Brain metastases (BMs) represent a negative prognostic factor for patients with solid malignancies. BMs are generally approached with loco-regional treatments and the blood–brain barrier limits the efficacy of some systemic drugs. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the management of brain metastases in patients with solid malignancies. We performed a review of available literature. Immune checkpoint inhibitors represent the standard treatment for several advanced solid malignancies. However, with the exception of melanoma their clinical role in other solid malignancies is not completely clear due to the exclusion of patients with BM from approval clinical trials. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors may be an effective treatment of brain metastases of melanoma while their clinical role on brain metastases from other solid malignancies is uncertain.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Izabela Karwacka ◽  
Łukasz Obołończyk ◽  
Sonia Kaniuka-Jakubowska ◽  
Krzysztof Sworczak

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare epithelial neoplasm, with a high tendency for local invasion and distant metastases, with limited treatment options. Surgical treatment is the method of choice. For decades, the mainstay of pharmacological treatment has been the adrenolytic drug mitotane, in combination with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is the latest revolution in cancer therapy, however preliminary data with single immune checkpoint inhibitors showed a modest activity in ACC patients. The anti-neoplastic activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-associated-antigen 4 (anti-CTLA-4), anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1), and anti-PD-ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibodies in different solid tumors has aroused interest to explore the potential therapeutic effect in ACC as well. Multiple ongoing clinical trials are currently evaluating the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in ACC (pembrolizumab, combination pembrolizumab and relacorilant, nivolumab, combination nivolumab and ipilimumab). The primary and acquired resistance to immunotherapy continue to counter treatment efficacy. Therefore, attempts are made to combine therapy: anti-PD-1 antibody and anti-CTLA-4 antibody, anti-PD-1 antibody and antagonist of the glucocorticoid receptor. The inhibitors of immune checkpoints would benefit patients with antitumor immunity activated by radiotherapy. Immunotherapy is well tolerated by patients; the most frequently observed side effects are mild. The most common adverse effects of immunotherapy are skin and gastrointestinal disorders. The most common endocrinopathy during anti-CTLA treatment is pituitary inflammation and thyroid disorders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 1053-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Di Nunno ◽  
Enrico Franceschi ◽  
Lidia Gatto ◽  
Stefania Bartolini ◽  
Alba Ariela Brandes

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent a concrete hope for patients with advanced solid tumors. Indeed, patients responding to these agents may experience a long-lasting response. Recently, results of interventional clinical trials investigated the role of ICIs in patients with glioblastoma. Results of these studies suggested that only a small percentage of these patients could benefit from these agents. Research of predictive markers assumes a critical importance to adequately select patients likely to benefit from ICIs. Molecular and clinical variables associated to tumors and patients have been evaluated as potential predictive markers. Main aim of the current work is to summarize and critically evaluate current knowledge in this field.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solveig A. van der Vegt ◽  
Liudmila Polonchuk ◽  
Ken Wang ◽  
Sarah L. Waters ◽  
Ruth E. Baker

AbstractAutoimmune myocarditis is a rare, but frequently fatal, side effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), a class of cancer therapies. Despite extensive experimental work on the causes, development and progression of this disease, much still remains unknown about the importance of the different immunological pathways involved. We present a mathematical model of autoimmune myocarditis and the effects of ICIs on its development and progression to either resolution or chronic inflammation. From this, we gain a better understanding of the role of immune cells, cytokines and other components of the immune system in driving the cardiotoxicity of ICIs. We parameterise the model using existing data from the literature, and show that qualitative model behaviour is consistent with disease characteristics seen in patients in an ICI-free context. The bifurcation structures of the model show how the presence of ICIs increases the risk of developing autoimmune myocarditis. This predictive modelling approach is a first step towards determining treatment regimens that balance the benefits of treating cancer with the risk of developing autoimmune myocarditis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Chokr ◽  
Rima Patel ◽  
Kapil Wattamwar ◽  
Samer Chokr

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and a wide spectrum of manifestations ranging from indolent and asymptomatic cytopenias to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS result from genetic and epigenetic derangements in clonal cells and their surrounding microenvironments. Studies have shown associations between MDS and other autoimmune diseases. Several immune mechanisms have been identified in MDS, suggesting that immune dysregulation might be at least partially implicated in its pathogenesis. This has led to rigorous investigations on the role of immunomodulatory drugs as potential treatment options. Epigenetic modification via immune check point inhibition, while well established as a treatment method for advanced solid tumors, is a new approach being considered in hematologic malignancies including high risk MDS. Several trials are looking at the efficacy of these agents in MDS, as frontline therapy and in relapse, both as monotherapy and in combination with other drugs. In this review, we explore the utility of immune checkpoint inhibitors in MDS and current research evaluating their efficacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. S300-S301
Author(s):  
M. Peravali ◽  
C. Gomes-Lima ◽  
E. Tefera ◽  
M. Baker ◽  
M. Sherchan ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628482110244
Author(s):  
Vanessa Wookey ◽  
Axel Grothey

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer type in both men and women in the USA. Most patients with CRC are diagnosed as local or regional disease. However, the survival rate for those diagnosed with metastatic disease remains disappointing, despite multiple treatment options. Cancer therapies for patients with unresectable or metastatic CRC are increasingly being driven by particular biomarkers. The development of various immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer therapy over the last decade by harnessing the immune system in the treatment of cancer, and the role of immunotherapy continues to expand and evolve. Pembrolizumab is an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immune checkpoint inhibitor and has become an essential part of the standard of care in the treatment regimens for multiple cancer types. This paper reviews the increasing evidence supporting and defining the role of pembrolizumab in the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic CRC.


Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Zhujiang Dai ◽  
Cheng Yan ◽  
Wenjie Zhang ◽  
Daorong Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractCancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of many malignant tumors. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can reactivate the anti-tumor activity of immune cells, sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy depends on the complex tumor immune processes. In recent years, numerous researches have demonstrated the role of intestinal microbiota in immunity and metabolism of the tumor microenvironment, as well as the efficacy of immunotherapy. Epidemiological studies have further demonstrated the efficacy of antibiotic therapy on the probability of patients' response to ICIs and predictability of the short-term survival of cancer patients. Disturbance to the intestinal microbiota significantly affects ICIs-mediated immune reconstitution and is considered a possible mechanism underlying the development of adverse effects during antibiotic-based ICIs treatment. Intestinal microbiota, antibiotics, and ICIs have gradually become important considerations for the titer of immunotherapy. In the case of immunotherapy, the rational use of antibiotics and intestinal microbiota is expected to yield a better prognosis for patients with malignant tumors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7511
Author(s):  
Albina Fejza ◽  
Maurizio Polano ◽  
Lucrezia Camicia ◽  
Evelina Poletto ◽  
Greta Carobolante ◽  
...  

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized the treatment of melanoma patients, leading to remarkable improvements in the cure. However, to ensure a safe and effective treatment, there is the need to develop markers to identify the patients that would most likely respond to the therapies. The microenvironment is gaining attention in this context, since it can regulate both the immunotherapy efficacyand angiogenesis, which is known to be affected by treatment. Here, we investigated the putative role of the ECM molecule EMILIN-2, a tumor suppressive and pro-angiogenic molecule. We verified that the EMILIN2 expression is variable among melanoma patients and is associated with the response to PD-L1 inhibitors. Consistently, in preclinical settings,the absence of EMILIN-2 is associated with higher PD-L1 expression and increased immunotherapy efficacy. We verified that EMILIN-2 modulates PD-L1 expression in melanoma cells through indirect immune-dependent mechanisms. Notably, upon PD-L1 blockage, Emilin2−/− mice displayed improved intra-tumoral vessel normalization and decreased tumor hypoxia. Finally, we provide evidence indicating that the inclusion of EMILIN2 in a number of gene expression signatures improves their predictive potential, a further indication that the analysis of this molecule may be key for the development of new markers to predict immunotherapy efficacy.


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