The inhibition of the host's natural immune response by tumor cells was widely reported in the early phases of the development of oncology therapy, and the concept of employing the host's immune system to treat cancer, i.e. tumor immunotherapy, is not new. However, as a result of early theoretical constraints, clinical application of immunotherapy did not go smoothly and lagged significantly behind radiation and chemotherapy. The path has been winding, but the future now seems promising. Immunotherapy research has advanced enormously as a result of the maturing of immuno-editing theory and the creation of numerous technologies, despite a number of unsuccessful endeavors and clinical studies. Since around 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a variety of tumor immunotherapies, including cytokines (interleukin-2, interferons), cancer vaccines (Provenge), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ipilimumab), and cellular therapies (chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T)), signaling a boom in the field.
Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors ; Immunotherapy ; Interferons ; Interleukin-2/therapeutic use* ; Ipilimumab ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen

Gastric cancer is a malignant disease with high incidence and mortality. The therapeutic methods for advanced gastric cancer, including chemotherapy and targeted therapy are very limited. Immunotherapy is a new method for cancer treatment. The immune checkpoint inhibitors developed for cancer treatment mainly target the CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L pathways. There have already been several inhibitors approved for the treatment of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer by the FDA, including Ipilimumab (fully human antibody against CTLA-4), Pembrolizumab (fully human antibody against PD-1) and Nivolumab (fully human antibody against PD-1). There are also many on-going clinical trials investigating the value of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating various malignancies, including advanced gastric cancer. In KEYNOTE-012 trial, for advanced gastric and esophagogastric junction cancer anti-PD-1 therapy seemed to be safe and effective for advanced gastric cancer with PD-L1 positivity. Moreover, studies of adoptive cell therapy and tumor vaccine in gastric cancer are underway. Here the latest developments in immunotherapy for gastric cancer will be illustrated.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; therapeutic use ; B7-H1 Antigen ; metabolism ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; metabolism ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Ipilimumab ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; therapy

Despite impressive survival benefits with immunotherapy in patients with various solid tumors, the full potential of these agents in prostate cancer has yet to be realized. Sipuleucel-T demonstrated a survival benefit in this population, indicating that prostate cancer is an immunoresponsive disease; however, these results have not been matched by other agents. A large trial with ipilimumab in prostate cancer failed to meet its primary objective, and small trials with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors did not yield a significant improvement in overall response. However, several late-stage clinical trials are underway with other vaccines in prostate cancer. Reports of clinical benefit with immunotherapies, particularly when used in combination or a select population, have provided the framework to develop sound clinical trials. Understanding immunogenic modulation, antigen spread, biomarkers, and DNA-repair defects will also help mold future strategies. Through rational patient selection and evidence-based combination approaches, patients with prostate cancer may soon derive durable survival benefits with immunotherapies.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; B7-H1 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Benzamides ; CTLA-4 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Ipilimumab/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Nitriles ; Phenylthiohydantoin/analogs & derivatives* ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Tissue Extracts/administration & dosage*