PD-1/PD-L1 Based Combinational Cancer Therapy: Icing on the Cake

Jian-Ye Zhang; Yan-Yan Yan; Jia-Jun Li; Rameshwar Adhikari; Li-Wu Fu

doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00722

PD-1/PD-L1 Based Combinational Cancer Therapy: Icing on the Cake

Front Pharmacol. 2020 May 15:11:722. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00722. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Jian-Ye Zhang^{1

2}, Yan-Yan Yan³, Jia-Jun Li², Rameshwar Adhikari⁴, Li-Wu Fu¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
² Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Institute of Respiratory and Occupational Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer, Medical College, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China.
⁴ Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal.

Abstract

Cancer has been a major global health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality. While many chemotherapy agents have been studied and applied in clinical trials or in clinic, their application is limited due to its toxic side effects and poor tolerability. Monoclonal antibodies specific to the PD-1 and PD-L1 immune checkpoints have been approved for the treatment of various tumors. However, the application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors remains suboptimal and thus another strategy comes in to our sight involving the combination of checkpoint inhibitors with other agents, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy. Various novel promising approaches are now in clinical trials, just as icing on the cake. This review summarizes relevant investigations on combinatorial therapeutics based on PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition.

Keywords: PD-1; PD-L1; cancer; combinational therapy; immunotherapy.

Publication types

Review