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Utilization of Immune Checkpoints in Precision Oncology

NextEdge Admin

12 Sep 2023

3 min 52 sec

Immune checkpoints play a crucial role in precision oncology, which is the practice of tailoring cancer treatment to the unique genetic and molecular characteristics of a patient’s tumor. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy that has shown remarkable success in the treatment of certain cancers by blocking proteins that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells. These inhibitors have been particularly effective in cancers that exhibit specific genetic or molecular characteristics, making them an important tool in precision oncology.

Some of the key immune checkpoints and their associated drugs used in precision oncology include:

PD-1 (Programmed Cell Death Protein 1) and PD-L1 (Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1): Immune checkpoint inhibitors like Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and Nivolumab (Opdivo) target the PD-1 receptor and its ligand PD-L1. These drugs have been effective in treating a wide range of cancer types, and testing for PD-L1 expression on tumor cells can help identify potential responders.
CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4): Ipilimumab (Yervoy) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets CTLA-4. It has been used in the treatment of melanoma and other cancers.
LAG-3 (Lymphocyte-activation Gene 3): LAG-3 inhibitors are in development and are being tested in clinical trials for various cancers. They may complement the activity of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
TIM-3 (T-cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin-domain containing-3): TIM-3 is another checkpoint protein being investigated, and it may have a role in precision oncology when combined with other immunotherapies.
TIGIT (T-cell Immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains): TIGIT is another immune checkpoint target currently under investigation in clinical trials.

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in precision oncology often involves biomarker testing to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from these treatments. For example, testing for PD-L1 expression on tumor cells or assessing tumor mutational burden (TMB) can help identify potential responders to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Combining these drugs with other targeted therapies or immunotherapies is also an area of ongoing research to enhance treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects. It’s important to note that the field of precision oncology is rapidly evolving, and ongoing research continues to identify new biomarkers and treatment strategies to improve cancer care. Therefore, the specific immune checkpoints and inhibitors used in precision oncology may evolve over time as more is learned about the interactions between the immune system and cancer cells.

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