Immuno-oncology

Drugs called checkpoint inhibitors are one form of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. White blood cells have checkpoint molecules in the immune system that alert cells when they recognize something in the body as foreign, so prevent normal cells from being attacked. This can be a problem, because the differences between healthy and cancer cells can be difficult to detect. By inhibiting the checkpoint molecules, this signals to the immune cells to start attacking cancer cells.

Monoclonal antibodies, made in a lab, mimic natural antibodies meaning they can recognize and attach to the surface of cancer cells. They can trigger the immune system and help the immune system to attack the cancer. Other forms of immunotherapy include bispecific antibodies, therapeutic vaccines, tumor-infecting viruses, cytokines and adoptive T-cell transfer. Many immunotherapy treatments for preventing, managing or treating different cancers can also be used in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or targeted therapies to improve their effectiveness.

Despite immunotherapy having a lot of success as cancer treatments, the approaches do not work well for every patient. This remains a key area for oncology research, to try and bring to the benefits of immunotherapy to all patients. Part of this focus includes combination strategies with other treatment types, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapies. By combining immunotherapy with these approaches, the tumor is weakened, and the immune system is primed to eliminate the cancer completely.

Combining treatments with immuno-oncology, this will also help to progress the field of personalized medicine by providing the individual patient with the right combination for the unique features of their cancer.