title: Emerging drugs targeting PD-1 and PD-L1: reality or hope?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some tumors evade immune responses by exploiting immune checkpoint pathways and other regulatory mechanisms. Recent advances in the understanding of immune evasion strategies has given rise to development of novel immunotherapies that can restore the patient's own immune system to respond to and eliminate cancer cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple agents targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway, both anti-PD-1 and anti-programmed death ligand-1 (a key ligand for PD-1) compounds, are currently in active clinical development for lung cancer. Preliminary data of efficacy as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy are promising. In this review, we will summarize the immunomodulatory environment in NSCLC, we will focus on immune-checkpoint inhibitors, and the data currently available in lung cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The immune-mediated therapies represent an exciting new therapeutic approach, but evidences are still early in lung cancer, and more data from clinical studies are needed to optimize the clinical impact of these therapies.
authors.affiliation: Second University of Naples, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casaluce
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgambato
authors.forename: Paola Claudia
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palazzolo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciardiello
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
keywords: NSCLC; anti-programmed cell death protein agents; anti-programmed death ligand-1 agents; immune checkpoints; nivolumab