title: Reorienting the immune system in the treatment of cancer by using anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies.
abstract: Physiologically, the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway is involved in limiting the killing of bystander cells during an infection and controlling autoimmunity. However, cancers exploit this system to avoid immune killing, and PD-1 ligand 1 and 2 (PD-L1 and PD-L2) expression on tumor cells, as well as PD-1 expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, have shown to be negative prognostic factors. Promising clinical results have been obtained by PD-1 pathway blockade in a range of cancers while still maintaining a manageable toxicity profile, and two anti-PD-1 antibodies are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. As already shown with nivolumab and ipilimumab, the combination of PD-1 pathway blockade with other anticancer agents holds promise in the form of additive synergistic anticancer effects.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT), Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Troels H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Borch
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT), Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donia
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT), Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mads H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT), Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: inge.marie.svane@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Inge M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Svane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000077594:Nivolumab; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein / Q000276:immunology; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D000074324:Ipilimumab; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D000077594:Nivolumab