Immunotherapy can be an effective treatment for metastatic cancer, but a significant subpopulation will not respond, likely due to the lack of antigenic mutations or the immune-evasive properties of cancer. Likewise, radiation therapy (RT) is an established cancer treatment, but local failures still occur. Clinical observations suggest that RT may expand the therapeutic reach of immunotherapy. ...

Conventional anticancer therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy, are designed to kill cancer cells. However, the efficacy of anticancer therapies is not only determined by their direct effects on cancer cells but also by off-target effects within the host immune system. Cytotoxic treatment regimens elicit several changes in immune-related parameters including the com...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which may result in treatment discontinuation. We sought to describe the onset, frequency, and kinetics of irAEs melanoma patients a real-life setting further investigate prognostic role outcomes. In this retrospective single-center cohort study, we included 249 patients. Onset, grade, resolution their were an...

Invasive aspergillosis is often a consequence of immune suppression, and accumulating evidence points to a role for adaptive immunity. Hence, it may be possible to manipulate the adaptive immune system to enhance protective immunity in at-risk individuals. In this issue of the JCI, De Luca and colleagues describe the ontogeny of adaptive immune responses to murine aspergillosis infection in rel...

Background The E3 ubiquitin ligase cbl-b has been identified as an important gatekeeper limiting T cell activation. Concordantly, the immune system of cbl-b deficient mice can effectively fight tumors, thereby validating cbl-b as an excellent target to enhance anti-tumor immune activity. We have recently shown in proof-of-concept experiments that transfer of transiently cbl-b silenced murine T ...

Background The vast majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arise in the context of chronic inflammation, especially with hepatitis B or hepatitis C viral infection. Several studies have identified prognostic immune biomarkers in HCC tumors and peritumoral regions. Recently, a Phase 1 trial of a PD-1 inhibitor has demonstrated efficacy in HCC. In order to characterize the diversity of immune...

BACKGROUND Eltrombopag is a thrombopoietin receptor agonist with excellent treatment outcomes in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Here, we analyzed the dose of eltrombopag required to achieve and maintain safe platelet counts in Korean ITP patients. METHODS Adult refractory ITP patients (<30,000 platelets/µL) were enrolled. Eltrombopag doses were increased to achieve a target platelet count (≥5...

BACKGROUND Antibody therapeutic targeting of the immune checkpoints cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated molecule 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) has demonstrated marked tumor regression in clinical trials. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can modulate multiple gene transcripts including possibly more than one immune checkpoint and could be exploited as immune therapeutics. METHODS Using online ...

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy is a novel strategy for cancer treatments in recent years. However, it was observed that most patients treated with ICIs could not get benefit from the therapy, which led to the limitation of clinical application. Motivated by potent and durable efficacy of ICIs, oncologists endeavor to explore the mechanisms of resistance to ICIs and increase the dru...