PD-L1 degradation pathway and immunotherapy for cancer

Cell Death Dis. 2020 Nov 6;11(11):955. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-03140-2.

Abstract

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1, CD274) is an essential immune checkpoint protein that binds to programmed death 1 (PD-1) on T-lymphocytes. T cell plays a critical role in killing cancer cells while the cancer cell exhibits immune escape by the expression of PD-L1. The binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 inhibits T cell proliferation and activity, leading to tumor immunosuppression. Increasing evidence shows that PD-L1 protein undergoes degradation in proteasomes or lysosomes by multiple pathways, leading to enhanced immunotherapy for cancer. Although some specific drugs induce PD-L1 degradation and increase antitumor activity, the combination of these drugs with PD-L1/PD-1 blockade significantly enhances cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we have discussed the interaction of PD-L1 degradation with cancer immunotherapy.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B7-H1 Antigen / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Proteolysis*

Substances

  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD274 protein, human