Miscellaneous
The advent of cancer immunotherapy has radically changed the field of oncology by improving the way many malignancies, including several aggressive and orphan diseases, are being treated with subsequent major improvement of patients’ prognosis. The first crucial and successful step in the field was the development of agents able to inactivate inhibitory immune receptors resulting in a subsequent increased anti-tumor response. Among them, antibodies blocking CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) and PD-1/PD-L1 (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab and durvalumab) are already widely available in clinical practice. More recently, to further improve the ability of the immune system to eradicate cancer cells, several other stimulatory or inhibitory molecules have been recognized as possible targets. ESMO Open has launched a special series of mini-reviews aiming to provide an update of the most interesting and upcoming targets in cancer immunotherapy including LAG3, TIM3, CD40, B7x, OX40, ICOS, VISTA, CD27, GITR and neoantigens. All these mini-reviews contain information on biological background (i.e. what the target is, where it is expressed and what is the physiological role as well as the expected effect when targeting it), drugs under development for targeting that specific molecule as well as current on-going clinical trials with targeted agents (including those in combination with other immune checkpoint inhibitors). In this podcast, Anna Berghof talks to Matteo Lambertini - Department of Medical Oncology, U.O.C. Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.