[PDF][PDF] Immune checkpoint blockade: a common denominator approach to cancer therapy

SL Topalian, CG Drake, DM Pardoll - Cancer cell, 2015 - cell.com
Cancer cell, 2015cell.com
The immune system recognizes and is poised to eliminate cancer but is held in check by
inhibitory receptors and ligands. These immune checkpoint pathways, which normally
maintain self-tolerance and limit collateral tissue damage during anti-microbial immune
responses, can be co-opted by cancer to evade immune destruction. Drugs interrupting
immune checkpoints, such as anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and others in early
development, can unleash anti-tumor immunity and mediate durable cancer regressions …
The immune system recognizes and is poised to eliminate cancer but is held in check by inhibitory receptors and ligands. These immune checkpoint pathways, which normally maintain self-tolerance and limit collateral tissue damage during anti-microbial immune responses, can be co-opted by cancer to evade immune destruction. Drugs interrupting immune checkpoints, such as anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, and others in early development, can unleash anti-tumor immunity and mediate durable cancer regressions. The complex biology of immune checkpoint pathways still contains many mysteries, and the full activity spectrum of checkpoint-blocking drugs, used alone or in combination, is currently the subject of intense study.
cell.com