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Targeted therapies

Programmed death: improving DLBCL

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 10, page 668 (2013)Cite this article

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Immune-based therapies harness the body's immune system to kill cancer cells. The T-cell co-inhibitory receptor programmed death 1 (PD-1) has a key role in the regulation of immunity; PD-1 is expressed on the surface of activated T-cells. The interaction between PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 sends a signal into the T cell and switches it off. Cancer cells express high levels of PD-L1 on their surface suppressing the anti-tumour immune response by hijacking this pathway. Anti-PD-1 antibodies have been developed and tested in clinical trials to block the interaction between PD-1 and its ligand, keeping the T-cell in the 'on' state.

A new study by Leo Gordon and colleagues emphasizes the potential of exploiting the PD-1 immune checkpoint to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The study was driven by the hypothesis that “PD-1 blockade enhances the immune system and might reduce tumour recurrence,” explains Gordon. He continues, “the setting of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for patients with DLBCL provided a good environment to test this concept, as the immune system undergoes remodelling after such a procedure.”

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References

  1. Armand, P. et al. Disabling immune tolerance by programmed death-1 blockade with pidilizumab after autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results of an international phase II trial. J. Clin. Oncol. 10.1200/JCO.2012.48.3685

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Authors
  1. Alessia Errico
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Errico, A. Programmed death: improving DLBCL. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 10, 668 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.200

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