C O V E R S T O R Y
7
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a class of drugs that harness the body ' s immune system to enhance its ability to recognize and attack cancer cells . They block certain checkpoint proteins on cancer cells , allowing the immune system to mount a more effective anti-cancer response .
How do Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors work ?
Immune checkpoints are molecules present on immune cells , particularly T cells , that regulate the immune response . They help maintain immune homeostasis and prevent excessive immune activation . However , cancer cells can exploit these checkpoints to evade immune attack . Two major checkpoint proteins targeted by immune checkpoint inhibitors are programmed cell death protein 1 ( PD-1 ) and its ligand PD-L1 , as well as cytotoxic T-lymphocyteassociated protein 4 ( CTLA-4 ). Immune checkpoint inhibitors block the interactions between checkpoint proteins and their ligands , effectively releasing the " brakes " on the immune system .
APPLICATIONS OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS
• Treatment of several types of cancer , including :
• Melanoma
• Lung cancer
• Renal cell carcinoma
• Bladder cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Hodgkin ' s lymphoma .
20
BioVoiceNews | July 2023