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Mechanism‐based treatment of cancer with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies
Author(s) -
Abdou Yara,
Pandey Manu,
Sarma Maithreyi,
Shah Shrunjal,
Baron Jeffrey,
Ernstoff Marc S.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/bcp.14316
Subject(s) - immune system , cancer , immune checkpoint , mechanism (biology) , antibody , medicine , cd8 , mechanism of action , pillar , immunotherapy , cancer research , immunology , biology , in vitro , philosophy , biochemistry , epistemology , structural engineering , engineering
Immune checkpoints are cell surface molecules that initiate regulatory pathways which have powerful control of CD8 + cytolytic T cell activity. Antagonistic and agonistic antibodies engaging these molecules have demonstrated profound impact on immune activation and have entered clinical use for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Over the past decade, antagonistic antibodies known as immune checkpoint inhibitors have become a new pillar of cancer treatment and have reshaped the therapeutic landscape in oncology. These agents differ in their mechanism of action and toxicity profiles compared to more traditional systemic cancer treatments such as chemo‐ and targeted therapies. This article reviews the pharmacology of this new class of agents.