title: Current Perspectives in Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the first immune checkpoint inhibitor to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration was nivolumab, based on a survival advantage over docetaxel in recurrent squamous NSCLC, a difficult-to-treat histology. In addition, several other immune checkpoint inhibitors are also in late-stage development. Most of these agents inhibit the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway, targeting either the PD-1 receptor or its ligand, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). In addition to nivolumab, pembrolizumab is a PD-1 inhibitor under investigation in NSCLC, and atezolizumab (MPDL3280A), durvalumab (MEDI4736), and avelumab (MSB0010718C) are PD-L1 inhibitors under investigation. The cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and tremelimumab are also under investigation in NSCLC, largely as part of combination approaches rather than as monotherapy. PD-L1 expression as a potential biomarker to select patients most likely to respond to inhibitors of the PD-1 pathway has been widely studied.
authors.affiliation: Director of Thoracic Oncology Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: egaron@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Garon
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor