title: Checkpoint inhibitors in Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Hodgkin's lymphoma is unusual among cancers in that it consists of a small number of malignant Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cells in a sea of immune system cells, including T cells. Most of these T cells are reversibly inactivated in different ways and their reactivation may induce a very strong immune response to cancer cells. One way of reactivation of T cells is with antibodies blocking the CTLA-4 and especially with antibodies directed against PD-1 or the PD-L1 ligand thereby reversing the tumor-induced downregulation of T-cell function and augmenting antitumor immune activity at the priming (CTLA-4) or tissue effector (PD-1) phase. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been evidenced as an additional treatment option with substantial effectiveness and acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Particularly, PD-1 blockade with nivolumab and pembrolizumab has demonstrated significant single-agent activity in this select population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jezeršek Novaković
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D000077594:Nivolumab; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D000077594:Nivolumab; C582435:pembrolizumab
keywords: Hodgkin's lymphoma; effectiveness; immune checkpoint inhibitors; toxicity