title: PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in renal cell cancer.
abstract: Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors is providing significant benefit to patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), both in overall survival and tolerability of treatment. Given the recent approval of the first checkpoint inhibitor in RCC, this review discusses the background and clinical data for checkpoint inhibition in RCC. Areas covered: This review introduces and discusses the basic biologic mechanisms of checkpoint inhibitor function and focuses on the current evidence in clinical trials for the use of immunotherapy in RCC. Expert commentary: Immunotherapy has been a mainstay of therapy in RCC, but the recent approval of nivolumab with ORR of 25% and durable responses has provided a transformative new therapeutic option.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Beckermann
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medicine , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , TN , USA.
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: b Department of Medicine , Northwestern University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sosman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D000077594:Nivolumab; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D000077594:Nivolumab
keywords: PD-1; PD-L1; Renal cell; atezolizumab; nivolumab; pembrolizumab