title: Pembrolizumab for the treatment of melanoma.
abstract: The immune system plays a vital role in regulating tumor growth, and the oncology community has witnessed an exciting resurgence in clinical research to develop effective immunotherapeutic strategies. The utility of these strategies in advanced melanoma has been at the forefront of these developments. In particular, blockade of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in advanced melanoma has proven to be a most promising new anticancer strategy. Pembrolizumab is a humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 antibody that exerts its anti-tumor effect through blocking the interaction of the immune inhibitory molecule PD-1 with its ligands. Its effect has been most convincingly demonstrated in the setting of advanced melanoma, with growing evidence of clinical responses across a broad spectrum of other solid and hematological malignancies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, 119-143 Missenden Road, Camperdown NSW 2050, PO BOX M33 Missenden Road NSW 2050, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanjeev Srinivas
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Catriona Mairi
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McNeil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; C582435:pembrolizumab
keywords: immunotherapy; lambrolizumab; melanoma; pembrolizumab; pharmacology