scholarly journals HDAC Inhibition to Prime Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Edith Borcoman ◽  
Maud Kamal ◽  
Grégoire Marret ◽  
Celia Dupain ◽  
Zahra Castel-Ajgal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Hdac Inhibitors ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Tumor Immune Escape ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Combination Strategies ◽  
Epigenetic Regulations

Immunotherapy has made a breakthrough in medical oncology with the approval of several immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical routine, improving overall survival of advanced cancer patients with refractory disease. However only a minority of patients experience a durable response with these agents, which has led to the development of combination strategies and novel immunotherapy drugs to further counteract tumor immune escape. Epigenetic regulations can be altered in oncogenesis, favoring tumor progression. The development of epidrugs has allowed targeting successfully these altered epigenetic patterns in lymphoma and leukemia patients. It has been recently shown that epigenetic alterations can also play a key role in tumor immune escape. Epidrugs, like HDAC inhibitors, can prime the anti-tumor immune response, therefore constituting interesting partners to develop combination strategies with immunotherapy agents. In this review, we will discuss epigenetic regulations involved in oncogenesis and immune escape and describe the clinical development of combining HDAC inhibitors with immunotherapies.

scholarly journals THERAPY OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE Immunotherapy of advanced thyroid cancer: from bench to bedside

2020 ◽  
Vol 183 (2) ◽  
pp. R41-R55
Author(s):  
Sonia Moretti ◽  
Elisa Menicali ◽  
Nicole Nucci ◽  
Martina Guzzetti ◽  
Silvia Morelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Thyroid Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Cancer Type ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Endocrine Disease

Immunotherapy has arisen in use in the field of oncology with seven immune checkpoint inhibitors approved for the treatment of a variety of cancer histologies. Depending on the cancer type, the success rate might be different, but in average it is about 20%, with some cases showing a durable response, lasting also after the interruption of the treatment, with a clear benefit on OS. The development of an efficacious cure for advanced thyroid carcinomas is still an unmet need and immunotherapy represents an interesting alternative option also for this cancer. However, very few clinical trials have been accomplished and very few studies exploring a way to overcome resistance have been performed. In this review, we will summarize the mechanisms of immune escape, with a special reference to follicular-derived thyroid carcinoma. Furthermore, we will try to speculate on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of follicular-derived advanced thyroid carcinoma. Finally, we will summarize the ongoing clinical trials and the future directions of the field.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Promising Choice for Endometrial Cancer Patients?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Musacchio ◽  
Serena Maria Boccia ◽  
Giuseppe Caruso ◽  
Giusi Santangelo ◽  
Margherita Fischetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endometrial Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Immune Escape ◽  
Solid Malignancies ◽  
Programmed Death ◽  
Therapy Strategies

Although around 80% of endometrial cancers are diagnosed at early stages and present with a 5-year survival rate exceeding 95%, patients with advanced and recurrent disease show a poor prognosis and low response rates to standard chemotherapy. In the era of targeted therapy, the great advances in the understanding of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation in cancer cells, which is responsible for tumor immune escape, have contributed to the increasing interest in immune checkpoint inhibitors as a promising strategy for the treatment of several refractory solid malignancies, including endometrial cancer. Several clinical trials have investigated the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in endometrial cancer, which already led to the approval of the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab as a satisfactory alternative for selected patients with unresectable or metastatic disease. As the future of cancer treatment will probably rely on combination therapy strategies, currently, innovative ongoing trials are exploring the potential role of immune checkpoint inhibitors associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other targeted therapies. Moreover, further research is warranted to discover new specific biomarkers that can accurately predict the response to immunotherapy.

Comparative Analysis of Durable Responses on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Versus Other Systemic Therapies: A Pooled Analysis of Phase III Trials

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvire Pons-Tostivint ◽  
Aurélien Latouche ◽  
Pauline Vaflard ◽  
Francesco Ricci ◽  
Delphine Loirat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Drug Classes ◽  
Metastatic Setting ◽  
The Mean

PURPOSE Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been demonstrated to improve overall survival (OS) in several tumor types. Durable responses have been reported with these agents in patients with melanoma and lung cancer. We aimed to quantify the proportion of patients who experience durable responses on ICIs and to compare it with other drug classes. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrieved published phase III randomized trials that included at least one ICI arm in the recurrent and/or metastatic setting. A durable response to treatment was defined as a progression-free survival that exceeded three times the median progression-free survival of the whole population. The proportion of patients who experienced an OS that exceeded two times the median OS of the whole patient population also was estimated. RESULTS Nineteen studies involving 11,640 patients treated in 42 treatment arms (26 ICI and 16 non-ICI arms) were included. The mean proportion of patients who experienced a durable response was 2.3 times higher in those treated with an ICI compared with those treated in the control arms (25% v 11%). Durable responses were more frequent in patients treated with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 agents than in patients treated with anti–CTLA-4 agents (28% v 18%). The mean proportion of patients who had an OS that exceeded two times the median OS was also higher in those treated with ICIs than in those treated in the control arms (30% v 23%). In multivariable analysis, the effects of treatment with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 agents and of first-line treatment were statistically associated with a higher mean proportion of durable responses. CONCLUSION Durable responses were more frequent in patients treated with ICIs, although they also occurred in patients treated with other drug classes.

scholarly journals Prognostic Factors and Biomarkers of Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Lung Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 4931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bianco ◽  
Fabio Perrotta ◽  
Giusi Barra ◽  
Umberto Malapelle ◽  
Danilo Rocco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
T Cell Subsets ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Lung Cancer Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Manipulation of the immune response is a game changer in lung cancer treatment, revolutionizing management. PD1 and CTLA4 are dynamically expressed on different T cell subsets that can either disrupt or sustain tumor growth. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against PD1/PDL1 and CTLA4 have shown that inhibitory signals can be impaired, blocking T cell activation and function. MoAbs, used as both single-agents or in combination with standard therapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have exhibited advantages in terms of overall survival and response rate; nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab and more recently, durvalumab, have already been approved for lung cancer treatment and more compounds are in the pipeline. A better understanding of signaling elicited by these antibodies on T cell subsets, as well as identification of biological determinants of sensitivity, resistance and correlates of efficacy, will help to define the mechanisms of antitumor responses. In addition, the relevance of T regulatory cells (Treg) involved in immune responses in cancer is attracting increasing interest. A major challenge for future research is to understand why a durable response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) occurs only in subsets of patients and the mechanisms of resistance after an initial response. This review will explore current understanding and future direction of research on ICI treatment in lung cancer and the impact of tumor immune microenvironment n influencing clinical responses.

scholarly journals Immune Thrombocytopenia Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Solid Cancer: Case Report and Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Liu ◽  
Xiuju Liang ◽  
Jing Liang ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cancer Case ◽  
Solid Cancer ◽  
Severe Thrombocytopenia ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and its receptor programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), represent promising therapeutic strategies for advanced human malignancies. However, a subgroup of patients experiences various autoimmune toxicities, termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs), that occur as a result of on-target and off-tumor autoimmune responses. Although irAEs are generally confirmed to be less severe than toxicities caused by conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy, uncommon irAEs, such as immune thrombocytopenia, may occur with a very low incidence and sometimes be severe or fatal. This review focuses on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and prognosis of immune thrombocytopenia occurring in advanced cancer patients induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially in those with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor treatment. We also first present one patient with non-small cell lung cancer who received the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab and developed severe thrombocytopenia.

scholarly journals Biomarkers for Predicting Response to Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 1228-1238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Duffy ◽  
John Crown
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Tumor Type ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Cancer Types

Abstract BACKGROUND Immunotherapy, especially the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, has revolutionized the management of several different cancer types in recent years. However, for most types of cancer, only a minority of patients experience a durable response. Furthermore, administration of immunotherapy can result in serious adverse reactions. Thus, for the most efficient and effective use of immunotherapy, accurate predictive biomarkers that have undergone analytical and clinical validation are necessary. CONTENT Among the most widely investigated predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy are programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), microsatellite instability/defective mismatch repair (MSI/dMMR), and tumor mutational burden (TMB). MSI/dMMR is approved for clinical use irrespective of the tumor type, whereas PD-L1 is approved only for use in certain cancer types (e.g., for predicting response to first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer). Although not yet approved for clinical use, TMB has been shown to predict response to several different forms of immunotherapy and across multiple cancer types. Less widely investigated predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy include tumor-infiltrating CD8+ lymphocytes and specific gene signatures. Despite being widely investigated, assays for MSI/dMMR, PD-L1, and TMB lack standardization and are still evolving. An urgent focus of future research should be the optimization and standardization of method for determining these biomarkers. SUMMARY Biomarkers for predicting response to immunotherapy are paving the way for personalized treatment for patients with diverse cancer types. However, standardization of the available biomarker assays is an urgent requirement.

Immunotherapy for advanced melanoma: current situation in Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Junji Kato ◽  
Hisashi Uhara
Keyword(s):  
Uveal Melanoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Advanced Melanoma ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Term Survival

Abstract Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors provides long-term survival for patients with advanced melanoma. Improvements in the overall survival of advanced melanoma patients have been achieved with anti-PD-1 monotherapy and anti-PD-1+ CTLA4 combination therapy, but there are still many issues to resolve. Acral, mucosal and uveal melanoma have been less responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors than cutaneous melanoma. For patients who have achieved a good response, it is still not known how long the anti-PD-1 therapy should be administered. Moreover, there is limited treatment for patients who relapse during or after adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy. Here, we review the current evidence regarding the clinical effects of immunotherapy for advanced melanoma. Moreover, we review previous studies of acral, mucosal and uveal melanoma, and we discuss the recent findings regarding durable response after the cessation of anti-PD-1 therapy, and treatment options for recurrence after adjuvant therapy.

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