Emerging drugs targeting PD-1 and PD-L1: reality or hope?
INTRODUCTION
Some tumors evade immune responses by exploiting immune checkpoint pathways and other regulatory mechanisms. Recent advances in the understanding of immune evasion strategies has given rise to development of novel immunotherapies that can restore the patient's own immune system to respond to and eliminate cancer cells.


AREAS COVERED
Multiple agents targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway, both anti-PD-1 and anti-programmed death ligand-1 (a key ligand for PD-1) compounds, are currently in active clinical development for lung cancer. Preliminary data of efficacy as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy are promising. In this review, we will summarize the immunomodulatory environment in NSCLC, we will focus on immune-checkpoint inhibitors, and the data currently available in lung cancer.


EXPERT OPINION
The immune-mediated therapies represent an exciting new therapeutic approach, but evidences are still early in lung cancer, and more data from clinical studies are needed to optimize the clinical impact of these therapies.
['Casaluce|Francesca|F|', 'Sgambato|Assunta|A|', 'Sacco|Paola Claudia|PC|', 'Palazzolo|Giovanni|G|', 'Maione|Paolo|P|', 'Rossi|Antonio|A|', 'Ciardiello|Fortunato|F|', 'Gridelli|Cesare|C|']
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents D060890:B7-H1 Antigen D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung D015195:Drug Design D006801:Humans D007167:Immunotherapy D008175:Lung Neoplasms D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
immune checkpoints NSCLC anti-programmed cell death protein agents anti-programmed death ligand-1 agents nivolumab