1
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Guo ZX, Zhao XL, Zhao ZY, Zhu QY, Wang ZY, Xu M. Malignant melanoma resection and reconstruction with the first manifestation of lumbar metastasis: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:3571-3577. [PMID: 37383908 PMCID: PMC10294206 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i15.3571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malignant melanoma (MM) has shown an increasing incidence worldwide, and a potential to metastasize to almost any part of the body. Clinically, MM with bone metastasis as the initial manifestation is extremely rare. Spinal metastatic MM can cause spinal cord or nerve root compression, resulting in severe pain and paralysis. Currently, the primary clinical treatments for MM are surgical resection in conjunction with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.
CASE SUMMARY Here, we report the case of a 52-year-old male who presented to the clinic with progressive low back pain and limited nerve function. No primary lesion or spinal cord compression was detected from computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar vertebrae and positron emission tomography scan. A lumbar puncture biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of lumbar spine metastatic MM. Following surgical resection, the patient’s quality of life improved, symptoms were relieved, and comprehensive treatment was initiated, which prevented recurrence.
CONCLUSION Spinal metastatic MM is clinically rare, and may cause neurological symptoms, including paraplegia. Currently, the clinical treatment plan consists of surgical resection in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Xuan Guo
- Graduate School, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Xue-Lin Zhao
- Graduate School, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Zi-Yi Zhao
- Graduate School, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Qing-Yan Zhu
- Graduate School, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Zi-Ying Wang
- Graduate School, Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Forth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100037, China
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2
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Lisovska N. Multilevel mechanism of immune checkpoint inhibitor action in solid tumors: History, present issues and future development (Review). Oncol Lett 2022; 23:190. [PMID: 35527781 PMCID: PMC9073577 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors (antibodies that target and block immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment) is included in the standard of care for patients with different types of malignancy, such as melanoma, renal cell and urothelial carcinoma, lung cancer etc. The introduction of this new immunotherapy has altered the view on potential targets for treatment of solid tumors from tumor cells themselves to their immune microenvironment; this has led to a reconsideration of the mechanisms of tumor-associated immunity. However, only a subset of patients benefit from immunotherapy and patient response is often unpredictable, even with known initial levels of prognostic markers; the biomarkers for favorable response are still being investigated. Mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors efficiency, as well as the origins of treatment failure, require further investigation. From a clinical standpoint, discrepancies between the theoretical explanation of inhibitors of immune checkpoint actions at the cellular level and their deployment at a tissue/organ level impede the effective clinical implementation of novel immune therapy. The present review assessed existing experimental and clinical data on functional activity of inhibitors of immune checkpoints to provide a more comprehensive picture of their mechanisms of action on a cellular and higher levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Lisovska
- Chemotherapy Department, Center of Oncology, ‘Cyber Clinic of Spizhenko’, Kapitanovka, Kyiv 08112, Ukraine
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3
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Zouein J, Haddad FG, Eid R, Kourie HR. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: the rational choice. Immunotherapy 2021; 14:155-167. [PMID: 34865502 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2021-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of death among cancers. The progressive approvals of immunotherapy as first-line treatment options have helped improve cancer prognosis. However, longer follow-up has confirmed the possibility of acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) which can lead to late relapses. Chemotherapy can act as a priming therapy to increase a tumor's response to immunotherapy. We aim through this review to explain the mechanism behind ICI resistance and the value of chemotherapy in escaping this resistance. Finally, all US FDA approvals regarding the management of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer using a combination of ICIs and chemotherapy are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Zouein
- Hematology-Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Damas Street, P.O Box 17-5208, 1104 2020, Lebanon
| | - Fady G Haddad
- Hematology-Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Damas Street, P.O Box 17-5208, 1104 2020, Lebanon
| | - Roland Eid
- Hematology-Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Damas Street, P.O Box 17-5208, 1104 2020, Lebanon
| | - Hampig R Kourie
- Hematology-Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Damas Street, P.O Box 17-5208, 1104 2020, Lebanon
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4
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Palmieri G, Rozzo CM, Colombino M, Casula M, Sini MC, Manca A, Pisano M, Doneddu V, Paliogiannis P, Cossu A. Are Molecular Alterations Linked to Genetic Instability Worth to Be Included as Biomarkers for Directing or Excluding Melanoma Patients to Immunotherapy? Front Oncol 2021; 11:666624. [PMID: 34026645 PMCID: PMC8132875 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.666624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The improvement of the immunotherapeutic potential in most human cancers, including melanoma, requires the identification of increasingly detailed molecular features underlying the tumor immune responsiveness and acting as disease-associated biomarkers. In recent past years, the complexity of the immune landscape in cancer tissues is being steadily unveiled with a progressive better understanding of the plethora of actors playing in such a scenario, resulting in histopathology diversification, distinct molecular subtypes, and biological heterogeneity. Actually, it is widely recognized that the intracellular patterns of alterations in driver genes and loci may also concur to interfere with the homeostasis of the tumor microenvironment components, deeply affecting the immune response against the tumor. Among others, the different events linked to genetic instability—aneuploidy/somatic copy number alteration (SCNA) or microsatellite instability (MSI)—may exhibit opposite behaviors in terms of immune exclusion or responsiveness. In this review, we focused on both prevalence and impact of such different types of genetic instability in melanoma in order to evaluate whether their use as biomarkers in an integrated analysis of the molecular profile of such a malignancy may allow defining any potential predictive value for response/resistance to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Palmieri
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Carla Maria Rozzo
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Colombino
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Milena Casula
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Sini
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonella Manca
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Marina Pisano
- Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB), National Research Council (CNR), Sassari, Italy
| | - Valentina Doneddu
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Panagiotis Paliogiannis
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Antonio Cossu
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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5
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Bakacs T, Moss RW, Kleef R, Szasz MA, Anderson CC. Exploiting autoimmunity unleashed by low-dose immune checkpoint blockade to treat advanced cancer. Scand J Immunol 2019; 90:e12821. [PMID: 31589347 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
As a result of the cancer immunotherapy revolution, more than 2000 immuno-oncology agents are currently being tested or are in use to improve responses. Not unexpectedly, the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo for their development of cancer therapy by the blockade of co-inhibitory signals. Unfortunately, manipulation of the co-inhibitory receptors has also resulted in a safety issue: widespread iatrogenic immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Autoimmunity is emerging as the nemesis of immunotherapy. Originally, it was assumed that CTLA-4 blockade selectively targets T cells relevant to the antitumour immune response. However, an uncontrolled pan T cell activation was induced compromising tolerance to healthy self-tissues. The irAEs are very similar to that of a chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) reaction following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We hypothesized that ipilimumab induced a graft-versus-malignancy (GVM) effect, which eradicated metastatic melanoma in a minority of patients, but also involved an auto-GVHD reaction that resulted in widespread autoimmunity in the majority. Therefore, we argued for a profound theoretical point against the consensus of experts. The task is not to desperately put the genie back in the bottle by immune-suppressive treatments, but instead to harness the autoimmune forces. In this way, the same goal could be achieved by an antibody as by the adoptive transfer of alloreactive donor lymphocytes, but without severe GVHD. The proof-of-principle of a low-dose-combination immune checkpoint therapy, consisting only of approved drugs and treatments, was demonstrated in 111 stage IV cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ralf Kleef
- Immunology & Integrative Oncology, Kleef Hyperthermie, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Colin C Anderson
- Departments of Surgery and Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Alberta Diabetes Institute, Alberta Transplant Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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6
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Harrop R, O’Neill E, Stern PL. Cancer stem cell mobilization and therapeutic targeting of the 5T4 oncofetal antigen. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother 2019; 7:2515135518821623. [PMID: 30719508 PMCID: PMC6348545 DOI: 10.1177/2515135518821623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) can act as the cellular drivers of tumors harnessing stem cell properties that contribute to tumorigenesis either as founder elements or by the gain of stem cell traits by the malignant cells. Thus, CSCs can self-renew and generate the cellular heterogeneity of tumors including a hierarchical organization similar to the normal tissue. While the principle tumor growth contribution is often from the non-CSC components, it is the ability of small numbers of CSCs to avoid the effects of therapeutic strategies that can contribute to recurrence after treatment. However, identifying and characterizing CSCs for therapeutic targeting is made more challenging by their cellular potency being influenced by a particular tissue niche or by the capacity of more committed cells to regain stem cell functions. This review discusses the properties of CSCs including the limitations of the available cell surface markers, the assays that document tumor initiation and clonogenicity, the roles of epithelial mesenchymal transition and molecular pathways such as Notch, Wnt, Hippo and Hedgehog. The ability to target and eliminate CSCs is thought to be critical in the search for curative cancer treatments. The oncofetal tumor-associated antigen 5T4 (TBGP) has been linked with CSC properties in several different malignancies. 5T4 has functional attributes that are relevant to the spread of tumors including through EMT, CXCR4/CXCL12, Wnt, and Hippo pathways which may all contribute through the mobilization of CSCs. There are several different immunotherapies targeting 5T4 in development including antibody-drug conjugates, antibody-targeted bacterial super-antigens, a Modified Vaccinia Ankara-basedvaccine and 5T4-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cells. These immune therapies would have the advantage of targeting both the bulk tumor as well as mobilized CSC populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Harrop
- Oxford BioMedica plc, Windrush Court, Transport Way, Oxford, OX4 6LT, UK
| | - Eric O’Neill
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter L. Stern
- Division of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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7
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Dalgleish AG, Stern PL. The failure of radical treatments to cure cancer: can less deliver more? Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother 2018; 6:69-76. [PMID: 30623172 PMCID: PMC6304701 DOI: 10.1177/2515135518815393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
All too often attempts to deliver improved cancer cure rates by increasing the dose of a particular treatment are not successful enough to justify the accompanying increase in toxicity and reduction in quality of life suffered by a significant number of patients. In part, this drive for using higher levels of treatment derives from the nature of the process for testing and incorporation of new protocols. Indeed, new treatment regimens must now consider the key role of immunity in cancer control, a component that has been largely ignored until very recently. The recognition that some drugs developed for cytotoxicity at higher doses can display alternative anticancer activities at lower doses including through modulation of immune responses is prompting a significant re-evaluation of treatment protocol development. Given that tumours are remarkably heterogeneous and with inherent genetic instability it is probably only the adaptive immune response with its flexibility and extensive repertoire that can rise to the challenge of effecting significant control and ultimately elimination of a patient's cancer. This article discusses some of the elements that have limited higher levels of treatment outcomes and where too much proved less effective. We explore observations that less can often be as effective, if not more effective especially with some chemotherapy regimens, and discuss how this can be exploited in combination with immunotherapies to deliver nontoxic improved tumour responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus G Dalgleish
- Infection and Immunity Centre, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK
| | - Peter L Stern
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
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8
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Dalgleish AG, Mudan S, Fusi A. Enhanced effect of checkpoint inhibitors when given after or together with IMM-101: significant responses in four advanced melanoma patients with no additional major toxicity. J Transl Med 2018; 16:227. [PMID: 30107850 PMCID: PMC6092867 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1602-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The use of checkpoint inhibitors (ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab) has revolutionised the treatment of metastatic melanoma. However still more than the half the patients do not respond to single-agent immunotherapy. This has led to the development of combining these agents in an attempt to enhance the anti-cancer activity. More than 300 different studies with 15 different drug doses are currently ongoing. Combining different checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) does indeed lead to an increase in response rate, but this is associated with significant toxicity. IMM-101 is a heat killed Mycobacterium preparation which induces marked immune modulation and little systemic toxicity. It has been reported as having activity in melanoma as single agent and in pancreatic cancer in combination with gemcitabine, the latter in a randomised study. Methods Here we report the effect of adding CPIs to 3 patients who had previously been on IMM-101, either as a trial or a named patient programme and a patient who received the IMM-101 together with nivolumab. Results All 4 patients had rapid and very good responses, three of them maintained over 18 months with no significant additional toxicity. Conclusions The rapid and complete clinical responses seen in these patients may suggest that IMM-101 is activating a complementary pathway which is synergistic with CPI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus G Dalgleish
- Infection & Immunity Research Center, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK.
| | - Satvinder Mudan
- St George's University of London, Imperial College, London, UK.,The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alberto Fusi
- Infection & Immunity Research Center, St George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK.,Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Capone I, Marchetti P, Ascierto PA, Malorni W, Gabriele L. Sexual Dimorphism of Immune Responses: A New Perspective in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2018; 9:552. [PMID: 29619026 PMCID: PMC5871673 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, several types of tumors can benefit from the new frontier of immunotherapy, due to the recent increasing knowledge of the role of the immune system in cancer control. Among the new therapeutic strategies, there is the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), able to restore an efficacious antitumor immunity and significantly prolong the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced tumors such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the impressive efficacy of these agents in some patients, treatment failure and resistance are frequently observed. In this regard, the signaling governed by IFN type I (IFN-I) has emerged as pivotal in orchestrating host defense. This pathway displays different activation between sexes, thus potentially contributing to sexual dimorphic differences in the immune responses to immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to critically consider the immune signals, with particular attention to IFN-I, that may differently affect female and male antitumor responses upon immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imerio Capone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department of Oncology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale (IRCCS), Naples, Italy
| | - Walter Malorni
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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10
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Capone I, Marchetti P, Ascierto PA, Malorni W, Gabriele L. Sexual Dimorphism of Immune Responses: A New Perspective in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29619026 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, several types of tumors can benefit from the new frontier of immunotherapy, due to the recent increasing knowledge of the role of the immune system in cancer control. Among the new therapeutic strategies, there is the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), able to restore an efficacious antitumor immunity and significantly prolong the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced tumors such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the impressive efficacy of these agents in some patients, treatment failure and resistance are frequently observed. In this regard, the signaling governed by IFN type I (IFN-I) has emerged as pivotal in orchestrating host defense. This pathway displays different activation between sexes, thus potentially contributing to sexual dimorphic differences in the immune responses to immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to critically consider the immune signals, with particular attention to IFN-I, that may differently affect female and male antitumor responses upon immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imerio Capone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department of Oncology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale (IRCCS), Naples, Italy
| | - Walter Malorni
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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