Ipilimumab in non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer: new knowledge on a new therapeutic strategy.
BACKGROUND
Despite recent advances with new chemotherapeutic agents and target therapies, the prognosis of NSCLC remains poor. Recent results from clinical trials of immunotherapeutic agents, especially with immune checkpoint inhibitors, make this approach very exciting in NSCLC. Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 that is able to stimulate the antitumour immune response by promoting T-cell activation.


METHODS
We have reviewed the literature and have described the most important results obtained with ipilimumab in NSCLC in recent trials with a specific focus on its peculiar toxicity profile and pattern of response. Trials ongoing with ipilimumab are also reported.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from clinical trials with ipilimumab are promising. Some important issues in the near future will be to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers to select patients who could benefit from this drug. Further studies are warranted to understand how to combine ipilimumab with other anticancer strategies.
UOS Tumori Polmonari, IRCCS San Martino - IST Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro , L.go Benzi 10, Genova , Italy ery80x@yahoo.it.
Erika
E
Rijavec
Carlo
C
Genova
Giulia
G
Barletta
Giovanni
G
Burrafato
Federica
F
Biello
Maria Giovanna
MG
Dal Bello
Simona
S
Coco
Anna
A
Truini
Angela
A
Alama
Francesco
F
Boccardo
Francesco
F
Grossi
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000074324:Ipilimumab
cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4; immunotherapy; ipilimumab; non-small cell lung cancer; programmed cell death-1; programmed cell death-1 ligand