CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS IN RARE CANCERS: EXPANDING TREATMENT HORIZONS

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are transforming oncology, offering new hope for patients with rare cancers. By unleashing the immune system against cancer cells, these therapies redefine treatment possibilities, improving survival and quality of life in hard-to-treat malignancies.

- Dr. Ashwani Kumar Sharma

Checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent a groundbreaking advancement in the fight against cancer, offering hope for patients suffering from rare cancers that are traditionally very hard to treat. They allow the body's own immune system to identify the presence of cancerous cells inside it and destroy it. ICIs re-activate the immune system's natural ability to fight cancer by targeting and blocking specific inhibitory proteins that prevent T cells from attacking tumors. These include PD-1, PDL1, and CTLA-4. This has revolutionized treatment for more common cancers and paved the way for new avenues for rare cancers that often lack established therapeutic options. This changes the future of oncology as ICIs promise to improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with cancers once considered untreatable.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a novel class of immunotherapy developed to break the very sophisticated mechanisms used by cancer cells to evade the immune system's surveillance. Immune checkpoint proteins are generally negative regulators, holding back the immune response against healthy tissues and self-tolerance. However, cancer cells take advantage of these checkpoints by hijacking the regulatory pathways of the immune system, avoiding being recognized and eliminated.