scholarly journals The Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Adrenocortical Carcinoma

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.

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.


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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-32
Author(s):  
Piyawat Komolmit

การรักษามะเร็งด้วยแนวความคิดของการกระตุ้นให้ภูมิต้านทานของร่างกายไปทำลายเซลล์มะเร็งนั้น ปัจจุบันได้รับการพิสูจน์ชัดว่าวิธีการนี้สามารถหยุดยั้งการแพร่กระจายของเซลล์มะเร็ง โดยไม่ก่อให้เกิดภาวะแทรกซ้อนทางปฏิกิริยาภูมิต้านทานต่ออวัยวะส่วนอื่นที่รุนแรง สามารถนำมาใช้ทางคลินิกได้ ยุคของการรักษามะเร็งกำลังเปลี่ยนจากยุคของยาเคมีบำบัดเข้าสู่การรักษาด้วยภูมิต้านทาน หรือ immunotherapy ยากลุ่ม Immune checkpoint inhibitors โดยเฉพาะ PD-1 กับ CTLA-4 inhibitors จะเข้ามามีบทบาทในการรักษามะเร็งตับในระยะเวลาอันใกล้ จำเป็นแพทย์จะต้องมีความรู้ความเข้าใจในพื้นฐานของ immune checkpoints และยาที่ไปยับยั้งโมเลกุลเหล่านี้ Figure 1 เมื่อ T cells รับรู้แอนทิเจนผ่านทาง TCR/MHC จะมีปฏิกิริยาระหว่าง co-receptors หรือ immune checkpoints กับ ligands บน APCs หรือ เซลล์มะเร็ง ทั้งแบบกระตุ้น (co-stimulation) หรือยับยั้ง (co-inhibition) TCR = T cell receptor, MHC = major histocompatibility complex


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

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2278
Author(s):  
Afshin Derakhshani ◽  
Zeinab Rostami ◽  
Hossein Safarpour ◽  
Mahdi Abdoli Shadbad ◽  
Niloufar Sadat Nourbakhsh ◽  
...  

Over the past decade, there have been remarkable advances in understanding the signaling pathways involved in cancer development. It is well-established that cancer is caused by the dysregulation of cellular pathways involved in proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell metabolism, migration, cell polarity, and differentiation. Besides, growing evidence indicates that extracellular matrix signaling, cell surface proteoglycans, and angiogenesis can contribute to cancer development. Given the genetic instability and vast intra-tumoral heterogeneity revealed by the single-cell sequencing of tumoral cells, the current approaches cannot eliminate the mutating cancer cells. Besides, the polyclonal expansion of tumor-infiltrated lymphocytes in response to tumoral neoantigens cannot elicit anti-tumoral immune responses due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, the data from the single-cell sequencing of immune cells can provide valuable insights regarding the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints/related signaling factors in immune cells, which can be used to select immune checkpoint inhibitors and adjust their dosage. Indeed, the integration of the data obtained from the single-cell sequencing of immune cells with immune checkpoint inhibitors can increase the response rate of immune checkpoint inhibitors, decrease the immune-related adverse events, and facilitate tumoral cell elimination. This study aims to review key pathways involved in tumor development and shed light on single-cell sequencing. It also intends to address the shortcomings of immune checkpoint inhibitors, i.e., their varied response rates among cancer patients and increased risk of autoimmunity development, via applying the data from the single-cell sequencing of immune cells.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e001945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Sum Lung Wong ◽  
Gerry Gin Wai Kwok ◽  
Vikki Tang ◽  
Bryan Cho Wing Li ◽  
Roland Leung ◽  
...  

BackgroundProgrammed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway blockade with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a standard therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nowadays. No strategies to overcome ICI resistance have been described. We aimed to evaluate the use of ipilimumab and anti-PD-1 ICIs (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) combinations in patients with advanced HCC with progression on prior ICIs.MethodsPatients with advanced HCC with documented tumor progression on prior ICIs and subsequently received ipilimumab with nivolumab/pembrolizumab were analyzed. Objective response rate (ORR), median duration of response (DOR), time-to-progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were assessed.ResultsTwenty-five patients were included. The median age was 62 (range: 51–83). About 68% were of Child-Pugh (CP) Grade A and 48% had primary resistance to prior ICI. At median follow-up of 37.7 months, the ORR was 16% with a median DOR of 11.5 months (range: 2.76–30.3). Three patients achieved complete response. The median TTP was 2.96 months (95% CI: 1.61 to 4.31). Median OS was 10.9 months (95% CI: 3.99 to 17.8) and the 1 year, 2 year and 3 year survival rates were 42.4%, 32.3% and 21.6%, respectively. The ORR was 16.7% in primary resistance group and 15.4% in acquired resistance group (p=1.00). All responders were of CP A and Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) Grade 1 or 2. CP and ALBI Grades were significantly associated with OS (p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively). Overall, 52% of patients experienced TRAEs and 12% experienced Grade 3 or above TRAEs.ConclusionsIpilimumab and nivolumab/pembrolizumab can achieve durable antitumor activity and encouraging survival outcomes with acceptable toxicity in patients with advanced HCC who had prior treatment with ICIs.


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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