Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
What is immune checkpoint inhibition therapy?
Conventional cancer immunotherapy has focused on the use of methods to increase the immune system’s ability to attack a cancer; however, in recent years, cancer cells inhibit the immune function to prevent the immune cells from attacking. (Cancer immunoediting theory)
“Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy” helps reactivate immune cells to attack cancer cells, by releasing the brakes applied by cancer cells.
In actual treatment, an immune checkpoint inhibitor is used to inhibit the immune checkpoint that applies the brakes (complex of PD-L1 and PD-1).
Types of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Immune checkpoint inhibitors include:
| Type of drugs *1 | Type of drugs *2 |
|---|---|
| PD-1 inhibitors | Nivolumab (Opdivo) |
| Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) | |
| CTLA-4 inhibitor | Ipilimumab (Yervoy) |
| PD-L1 inhibitors | Durvalumab (Imfinzi) |
| Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) | |
| Avelumab (Bavencio) |
*1 These drugs target the antenna on the surface of cells or cancer cells and are classified by the target antenna. The types of antenna include PD-1, CTLA-4, and PD-L1.
*2 The generic names (brand names) are shown. The types of drugs that can be used may differ according to the type of cancer.
At NEO Clinic Tokyo, we provide the “immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy” suitable for each patient following the policy of “precision medicine,” to maximize the therapeutic effect.