Immunotherapy 

About: Immunotherapy is an academic journal published by Future Medicine. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Immunotherapy & Immune system. It has an ISSN identifier of 1750-743X. Over the lifetime, 1903 publications have been published receiving 29715 citations. The journal is also known as: Immunomodulation therapy.

Immunotherapeutic implications of IL-6 blockade for cytokine storm

Abstract: IL-6 contributes to host defense against infections and tissue injuries. However, exaggerated, excessive synthesis of IL-6 while fighting environmental stress leads to an acute severe systemic inflammatory response known as ‘cytokine storm’, since high levels of IL-6 can activate the coagulation pathway and vascular endothelial cells but inhibit myocardial function. Remarkable beneficial effects of IL-6 blockade therapy using a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab were recently observed in patients with cytokine release syndrome complicated by T-cell engaged therapy. In this review we propose the possibility that IL-6 blockade may constitute a novel therapeutic strategy for other types of cytokine storm, such as the systemic inflammatory response syndrome including sepsis, macrophage activation syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Toll-like receptor agonists in cancer therapy

Abstract: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern-recognition receptors related to the Drosophila Toll protein. TLR activation alerts the immune system to microbial products and initiates innate and adaptive immune responses. The naturally powerful immunostimulatory property of TLR agonists can be exploited for active immunotherapy against cancer. Antitumor activity has been demonstrated in several cancers, and TLR agonists are now undergoing extensive clinical investigation. This review discusses recent advances in the field and highlights potential opportunities for the clinical development of TLR agonists as single agent immunomodulators, vaccine adjuvants and in combination with conventional cancer therapies.

Tumor-associated macrophages: implications in cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), representing most of the leukocyte population in solid tumors, demonstrate great phenotypic heterogeneity and diverse functional capabilities under the influence of the local tumor microenvironment. These anti-inflammatory and protumorigenic macrophages modulate the local microenvironment to facilitate tumor growth and metastasis. In this review, we examine the origin of TAMs and the complex regulatory networks within the tumor microenvironment that facilitate the polarization of TAMs toward a protumoral phenotype. More extensively, we evaluate the mechanisms by which TAMs mediate angiogenesis, metastasis, chemotherapeutic resistance and immune evasion. Lastly, we will highlight novel interventional strategies targeting TAMs in preclinical studies and in early clinical trials that have significant potential in improving efficacy of current chemotherapeutic and/or immunotherapeutic approaches.

Anti-TNF-α agents in the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: mechanisms of action and pitfalls.

Abstract: TNF-α is a potent inducer of the inflammatory response, a key regulator of innate immunity and plays an important role in the regulation of Th1 immune responses against intracellular bacteria and certain viral infections. However, dysregulated TNF can also contribute to numerous pathological situations. These include immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis and severe chronic plaque psoriasis. Animal and human studies concerning the role of TNF-α in IMIDs have led to the development of a therapy based on TNF blockage. This article focuses first on the potential mechanisms by which the three currently licensed agents, adalimumab, etarnecept and infliximab, decrease the inflammatory activity of patients with different IMIDs. Second, it focuses on the risks, precautions and complications of the use of TNF-α inhibitors in these patients.

Controversies about COVID-19 and anticancer treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Abstract: Corona virus disease-19 pandemic & cancer patients On 11 March, the WHO formally declared the corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic [1]. After the first cluster of cases emerged from Wuhan, in China, at the end of 2019, up today almost 287000 cases of infections from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been diagnosed across all five continents in the last few months [2,3]. COVID-19 morbidity and mortality have been linked to elderly age and comorbidities, leading to a poorer outcome to the viral infection for frail patients and more often resulting in hospitalization, intensive care unit admittance and need for invasive tracheal intubation [4]. Among such individuals, cancer patients represent a large subgroup at high risk of developing coronavirus infection and its severe complications. A recent nationwide analysis in China demonstrated that, of 1590 COVID-19 cases from 575 hospitals, 18 had a history of cancer (1 vs 0.29% of cancer incidence in the overall Chinese population, respectively), with lung cancer as the most frequent diagnosis [5]. Patients with cancer were observed to have a higher risk of severe events compared with patients without cancer (39 vs 8%; p = 0.0003). Moreover, cancer patients who underwent recent chemotherapy or surgery had a higher risk of clinically severe events than did those not receiving treatment. With the limit of a small sample size, the authors concluded that patients with cancer might have a higher risk of COVID-19, and poorer outcomes, than individuals without cancer. As a consequence, they recommended to consider an intentional postponing of adjuvant chemotherapy or elective surgery for stable cancer in endemic areas [5]. Nevertheless, as subsequently highlighted by other authors, the true incidence of COVID-19 in patients with cancer would be more informative in assessing whether such patients have an increased risk (and morbidity) from this viral illness [6]. Furthermore, the limited cancer patient population described in this first report from the literature, was curiously characterized by the lack of individuals receiving anticancer immunotherapy. Indeed, only chemotherapy and surgery were cited among treatments received by patients in the month prior to developing COVID-19. Maybe, this could simply be due to the casualty of a small sample, or otherwise, it could suggest that cancer patients receiving immunotherapy are less prone to develop COVID-19 or to be admitted in hospital due to severe coronavirus symptoms. Currently, we are aware of the probably higher incidence of misdiagnosed coronavirus infections compared with that reported and updated every day; it is likely that a great portion of healthy and young population develop COVID-19 with mild symptoms, not requiring hospital admittance and thus escaping the laboratory confirmation of the disease [7]. Cancer patients undergoing treatment with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-