title: Combining Epigenetic and Immunotherapy to Combat Cancer.
abstract: The most exciting recent advance for achieving durable management of advanced human cancers is immunotherapy, especially the concept of immune checkpoint blockade. However, with the exception of melanoma, most patients do not respond to immunotherapy alone. A growing body of work has shown that epigenetic drugs, specifically DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, can upregulate immune signaling in epithelial cancer cells through demethylation of endogenous retroviruses and cancer testis antigens. These demethylating agents may induce T-cell attraction and enhance immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in mouse models. Current clinical trials are testing this combination therapy as a potent new cancer management strategy. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1683-9. ©2016 AACR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Katherine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Chiappinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Zahnow
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland. sbaylin@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Baylin
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*