scholarly journals Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gastrointestinal Malignancies

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2533
Author(s):  
Anita Mazloom ◽  
Nima Ghalehsari ◽  
Victor Gazivoda ◽  
Neil Nimkar ◽  
Sonal Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Gastrointestinal Malignancies ◽  
Line Of Therapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of several solid and hematological malignancies. ICIs are not only able to produce long and durable responses, but also very well tolerated by patients. There are several approved indications of use of ICIs in treatment of metastatic gastrointestinal malignancies including gastric, esophageal, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, ICIs can be used in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) and high tumor mutational burden (TMB) tumors in chemotherapy-resistant setting. Despite having good efficacy and superior safety profile, ICIs are clinically active in small subset of patients, therefore, there is a huge unmet need to enhance their efficacy and discover new predictive biomarkers. There are several ongoing clinical trials that are exploring the role of ICIs in various gastrointestinal cancers either as single agent or in combination with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted agents or other immunotherapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss the published and ongoing trials for ICIs in gastrointestinal malignancies, including esophageal, gastric cancer, pancreatic, hepatocellular, biliary tract, colorectal and anal cancers. Specifically, we focus on the use of ICIs in each line of therapy and discuss the future directions of these agents in each type of gastrointestinal cancer.

scholarly journals Prognostic and Predictive Factors in Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Review of the Current Evidence

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5517
Author(s):  
Sara Elena Rebuzzi ◽  
Giuseppe Luigi Banna ◽  
Veronica Murianni ◽  
Alessandra Damassi ◽  
Emilio Francesco Giunta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Concomitant Medications ◽  
Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

In recent years, the treatment landscape of urothelial carcinoma has significantly changed due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which are the standard of care for second-line treatment and first-line platinum-ineligible patients with advanced disease. Despite the overall survival improvement, only a minority of patients benefit from this immunotherapy. Therefore, there is an unmet need to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers or models to select patients who will benefit from ICIs, especially in view of novel therapeutic agents. This review describes the prognostic and predictive role, and clinical readiness, of clinical and tumour factors, including new molecular classes, tumour mutational burden, mutational signatures, circulating tumour DNA, programmed death-ligand 1, inflammatory indices and clinical characteristics for patients with urothelial cancer treated with ICIs. A classification of these factors according to the levels of evidence and grades of recommendation currently indicates both a prognostic and predictive value for ctDNA and a prognostic relevance only for concomitant medications and patients’ characteristics.

scholarly journals Predictive Biomarkers for Outcomes of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) in Melanoma: A Systematic Review

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6366
Author(s):  
Joosje C. Baltussen ◽  
Marij J. P. Welters ◽  
Elizabeth M. E. Verdegaal ◽  
Ellen Kapiteijn ◽  
Anne M. R. Schrader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Suppressor Cells ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Melanoma Patients

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have strongly improved the survival of melanoma patients. However, as durable response to ICIs are only seen in a minority, there is an unmet need to identify biomarkers that predict response. Therefore, we provide a systematic review that evaluates all biomarkers studied in association with outcomes of melanoma patients receiving ICIs. We searched Pubmed, COCHRANE Library, Embase, Emcare, and Web of Science for relevant articles that were published before June 2020 and studied blood, tumor, or fecal biomarkers that predicted response or survival in melanoma patients treated with ICIs. Of the 2536 identified reports, 177 were included in our review. Risk of bias was high in 40%, moderate in 50% and low in 10% of all studies. Biomarkers that correlated with response were myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), CD8+ memory T-cells, T-cell receptor (TCR) diversity, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), gene expression profiling (GEP), and a favorable gut microbiome. This review shows that biomarkers for ICIs in melanoma patients are widely studied, but heterogeneity between studies is high, average sample sizes are low, and validation is often lacking. Future studies are needed to further investigate the predictive utility of some promising candidate biomarkers.

scholarly journals Overcoming resistance to anti-PD1 and anti-PD-L1 treatment in gastrointestinal malignancies

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Puccini ◽  
Francesca Battaglin ◽  
Maria Laura Iaia ◽  
Heinz-Josef Lenz ◽  
Mohamed E Salem
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Gastrointestinal Malignancies ◽  
Adaptive Resistance ◽  
Dna Mismatch ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Repair Deficiency

In the last few years, the unprecedented results of immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to a paradigm shift in clinical practice for the treatment of several cancer types. However, the vast majority of patients with gastrointestinal cancer do not benefit from immunotherapy. To date, microsatellite instability high and DNA mismatch repair deficiency are the only robust predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, these patients comprise only 5%–10% of all gastrointestinal cancers. Several mechanisms of both innate and adaptive resistance to immunotherapy have been recognized that may be at least in part responsible for the failure of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this population of patients. In the first part of this review article, we provide an overview of the main clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and the role of predictive biomarkers. In the second part, we discuss the actual body of knowledge in terms of mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy and the most promising approach that are currently under investigation in order to expand the population of patients with gastrointestinal cancer who could benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Current status of immunotherapy in gastrointestinal malignancies

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (06) ◽  
pp. 542-555
Author(s):  
Sylvie Lorenzen ◽  
Florian Lordick ◽  
Sven Heiko Loosen ◽  
Frank Tacke ◽  
Christian Trautwein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Objective Response ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Malignant Neoplasms ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibition ◽  
Gastrointestinal Malignancies ◽  
Molecular Features

AbstractGastrointestinal (GI) malignant neoplasms have a high global incidence and a huge impact on cancer-associated mortality. In the past years, excitement was growing among oncologists and patients alike for the use of immunotherapy, specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors. The approval of several PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors radically changed the treatment landscape in many cancer types and established immune-oncology as a new treatment strategy against cancer. Despite major breakthrough reports, shortcomings of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been observed, including primary and acquired treatment resistance, especially in patients receiving ICIs as a single treatment. Several immunotherapies for the treatment of GI tumors have recently emerged; however, checkpoint inhibition has not yet shown similar success in GI malignancies compared to other solid tumors. Various phase I–III trials focusing on immunotherapies for GI tumors have found only moderate to unsatisfactory objective response rates (ORR), ranging between 10 % and 25 %. In particular, negative studies have been reported in gastric and pancreatic cancer. Nevertheless, small subsets of cancers, such as DNA mismatch repair deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instable (MSI) cancers, among others, seem to benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibition. Routine testing for the rare molecular features that can predict response should be implemented in clinical routine for all GI tumors, and large scale clinical trials to identify predictive biomarkers are needed. This article will address the current use and evidence for immunotherapy in GI malignancies and future trends in this area for clinical practice.

scholarly journals Role of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175346581775007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prantesh Jain ◽  
Chhavi Jain ◽  
Vamsidhar Velcheti
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Clinical Activity

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, mainly drugs targeting the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) pathways, represent a remarkable advance in lung cancer treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 are approved for the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, with impressive clinical activity and durable responses in some patients. This review will summarize the mechanism of action of these drugs, the clinical development of these agents and the current role of these agents in the management of patients with lung cancer. In addition, the review will discuss the role of predictive biomarkers for optimal patient selection for immunotherapy and management of autoimmune side effects of these agents.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Prostate Cancer: Niche Role or Next Breakthrough?

2020 ◽  
pp. e89-e106
Author(s):  
Daniel Vargas P. de Almeida ◽  
Lawrence Fong ◽  
Matthew B. Rettig ◽  
Karen A. Autio
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer ◽  
Primary Resistance ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Castration Resistant

A number of trials have evaluated the use of single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The benefit appears to be limited to a small subset of patients, such as those with tumors with microsatellite instability, highlighting the importance of biomarkers to identify which patients may be more likely to respond. Given the lack of efficacy for most patients with mCRPC, our understanding of the mechanisms of primary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors and of the tumor immune microenvironment in prostate cancer is critical. Knowledge gained in these key areas will allow for the identification of novel combination therapies that will circumvent resistance mechanisms and should be tested in clinical trials. Improving our understanding of the effects of androgen deprivation therapy on immune cells and of the most favorable disease setting (e.g., biochemically recurrent vs. castration-resistant prostate cancer) may aid in the optimal use of checkpoint inhibitors in combination with other agents. If successful, this may move immune checkpoint inhibitors into the treatment armamentarium of prostate cancer management.

scholarly journals The Role of Cytokines in Predicting the Response and Adverse Events Related to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Wang ◽  
Xiaoyang Zhai ◽  
Ji Li ◽  
Jingyuan Guan ◽  
Shuhui Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Events ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Wide Range

Recently, the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced cancer has been significantly improved due to the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Low response rate and high occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) make urgently need for ideal predictive biomarkers to identity efficient population and guide treatment strategies. Cytokines are small soluble proteins with a wide range of biological activity that are secreted by activated immune cells or tumor cells and act as a bridge between innate immunity, infection, inflammation and cancer. Cytokines can be detected in peripheral blood and suitable for dynamic detection. During the era of ICIs, many studies investigated the role of cytokines in prediction of the efficiency and toxicity of ICIs. Herein, we review the relevant studies on TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β and other cytokines as biomarkers for predicting ICI-related reactions and adverse events, and explore the immunomodulatory mechanisms. Finally, the most important purpose of this review is to help identify predictors of ICI to screen patients who are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy.

scholarly journals Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Esophageal Cancers: Are We Finally Finding the Right Path in the Mist?

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1658
Author(s):  
Caterina Vivaldi ◽  
Silvia Catanese ◽  
Valentina Massa ◽  
Irene Pecora ◽  
Francesca Salani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Esophageal Cancer ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Combination Strategies ◽  
Cancer Review ◽  
The Right

Esophageal cancer remains a challenging disease due to limited treatment options and poor prognosis. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been proven to be safe and effective in the treatment of highly lethal malignancies, such as non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma. Recent clinical trials also showed promising activity in immune checkpoint inhibitors in pretreated advanced esophageal carcinoma and a potentially significant impact on the outcome of selected patients, independently of histology. Combination studies evaluating immunotherapy and chemotherapy and, in localized disease, radiotherapy are in progress and will hopefully confirm their promises in the near future. However, reliable predictive biomarkers are still lacking. Indeed, at present, the role of programmed cell death ligand 1 expression and other factors (such as microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden) as predictive biomarkers of benefit to immune checkpoint inhibitors is still controversial. Our aim was to explore the rationale of ICIs in esophageal cancer, review the results already available in multiple settings, and investigate future perspectives with single-agent and combination strategies.

Treatment-related toxicity and improved outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4085-4085
Author(s):  
Alessio Cortellini ◽  
Thomas Urban Marron ◽  
Pallavi Shruti Mishra-Kalyani ◽  
Yutao Gong ◽  
Anwaar Saeed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Tumour Response ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Duration Of Treatment

4085 Background: The development of treatment-related adverse events (trAE) correlates favorably with clinical outcomes in multiple studies of patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), however, this relationship is undefined in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This retrospective multi-center study aimed to examine whether trAEs are prognostic in HCC. Methods: We established an international consortium of 10 tertiary-care referral centers located in Europe (n = 67), United States (US, n = 248) and Asia (n = 42) to test whether the development of clinically significant trAE (i.e. graded >2, trAE2) predicted for improved overall (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rates (ORR) following ICI, and subsequently validated this association in a separate cohort of 406 HCC patients receiving ICI therapy as part of international clinical trials submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of marketing applications. Results: In a multi-institutional cohort of 357 patients, 274 (77%) with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C HCC mostly treated with ICI monotherapy (n = 304, 85%), trAE were reported in 146 patients (41%). Development of trAE2 were associated with longer OS (23.3 versus 12.2 months) and PFS (8.6 months versus 3.7 months). After adjusting for viral aetiology, gender, presence of cirrhosis, Child-Pugh class, BCLC stage, AFP levels, ECOG-PS, ICI regimen (mono/combination therapy) and receipt of corticosteroid therapy, trAE2 were confirmed predictors of improved OS (HR 0.55; 95%CI:0.34-0.88) and PFS (HR 0.51; 95%CI: 0.35-0.74). TrAE2 were associated with higher ORR (27% versus 16%) from ICI. The association between trAE2 and patients’ OS (HR 0.49; 95%CI:0.34-0.70) and PFS (HR 0.43; 95%CI:0.32-0.59) was also observed in the FDA dataset. After a 6-weeks landmark selection, trAE2 were confirmed to be associated with improved PFS (HR 0.59; 95%CI:0.39-0.87); the additional analysis adjusted for tumour response and duration of treatment within the FDA cohort further confirmed the association with longer PFS (HR 0.67; 95%CI: 0.47-0.94). Conclusions: Development of trAE2 may correlate with response and survival in patients with HCC receiving ICI, a clinical setting where the lack of biomarkers still represents an unmet need. Prospective studies aimed at understanding the underlying immunologic foundations of such relationship are warranted to identify predictive biomarkers of toxicity and response.

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