Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in AML-A New Frontier.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in AML-A New Frontier. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2020 Apr 20;: Authors: Thummalapalli R, Knaus H, Gojo I, Zeidner JF Abstract Despite recent therapeutic advancements, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a challenging clinical entity with overall poor outcomes. Given the demonstrable role of T cellmediated immunity in response to allogeneic stem cell transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusions, strategies that enhance immune activation and mitigate immune dysfunction represent attractive therapeutic platforms to improve clinical outcomes in AML. Pre-clinical data suggest that immune dysfunction is a major contributor to AML progression and relapse. Increased expression of immune checkpoints such as programmed death 1 (PD-1) contribute to AML immune evasion and are associated with disease progression. Immune checkpoint inhibition is being explored in AML with early evidence of clinical activity, particularly in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy and hypomethylating agents. In this review, we explore the scientific rationale behind the use of immune checkpoint inhibition either as single agents or in combination with hypomethylating agents or cytotoxic chemotherapy, and provide a clinical update of both completed and ongoing trials in AML. PMID: 32316893 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Current Cancer Drug Targets - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Curr Cancer Drug Targets Source Type: research