title: Current status of immunotherapy.
abstract: The successful use of immune checkpoint inhibitors has been big breakthrough in the development of cancer immunotherapy. Anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, ipilimumab, is the first-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor and has shown durable objective responses for advanced melanoma beyond the effect of dacarbazine. Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies, nivolumab and pembrolizumab, are other immune checkpoint inhibitors that have demonstrated more effective results than conventional drugs in clinical trials for a variety of advanced solid tumors including melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma and renal carcinoma. These studies have indicated that the enhancement of anti-cancer immunity by controlling the immune suppressive environment in cancer tissues is an important issue for the development of cancer immune-therapy. Accordingly, in recent years, the enthusiasm for research of cancer immunology has shifted to studies regarding the formation of the immune suppressive environment, immune suppression mechanisms in cancer tissues and the molecules and cells involved in these pathways. Novel findings from these studies might lead to the development of cancer immunotherapy based on control of the immune suppressive environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute suzukis@aichi-med-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Medical Research, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute.
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ueda
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D000077594:Nivolumab; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000074324:Ipilimumab; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D000077594:Nivolumab; C582435:pembrolizumab
keywords: clinical trials; immunology; immunotherapy