Understanding mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer to overcome immunotherapy resistance

The remarkable clinical success of harnessing the immune system to eradicate cancer cells has fundamentally changed the way we think about treating cancer. The most important advance in the clinic has come from the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). These agents work by blocking inhibitory checkpoint proteins, called PD-1 and CTLA-4, which are present on the surface of T-cells. This activates the T-cells which seek out and destroy the cancer. The enormous therapeutic promise of ICIs is illustrated by their capacity to induce long-term complete remission in patients with advanced melanoma.