The progress of immune checkpoint therapy in primary liver cancer

Yimin Zheng; Siwei Wang; Jiabin Cai; Aiwu Ke; Jia Fan

doi:10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188638

The progress of immune checkpoint therapy in primary liver cancer

Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2021 Dec;1876(2):188638. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188638. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Authors

Yimin Zheng¹, Siwei Wang², Jiabin Cai³, Aiwu Ke⁴, Jia Fan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Liver Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
² Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
³ Department of Liver Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
⁴ Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, PR China. Electronic address: keaiwu55@163.com.
⁵ Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, PR China; Department of Liver Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China. Electronic address: fanjia-zs@outlook.com.

PMID: 34688805
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188638

Abstract

After years of in-depth research on immune checkpoints, therapeutic reversal of immune-exhaustion with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) has been shown to be effective in primary liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The clinical development of novel ICPIs continues at a rapid pace, with more than 200 clinical trials of immunotherapeutic agents registered as of July 2021 for the treatment of liver cancer. In this review, we discussed the immune tolerance mechanism of liver cancer and the biological basis of immune checkpoints, focusing on the current status of ICPIs' development and clinical application. In addition, ICPIs combined with local resection, radiofrequency ablation, chemoembolization, and other molecular targeted drug therapies have shown better efficacy. Combined therapy based on multidisciplinary cooperation is the future direction of treatment in liver cancer.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / pharmacology
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Liver Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors