What are checkpoint inhibitors and what do they treat?
Checkpoint inhibitors are a form of cancer treatments that work by enhancing the immune system's ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. They target specific proteins, known as immune checkpoints, which cancer cells exploit to evade immune detection. By blocking these checkpoints, checkpoint inhibitors restore the immune system's ability to fight cancer effectively.
Checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for a range of cancers, including:
- Melanoma
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Certain head and neck cancers
- Triple-negative breast cancer
- Hodgkin lymphoma
How do checkpoint inhibitors work?
Immune checkpoints are natural regulatory pathways in the immune system that prevent it from attacking normal, healthy cells. They act as "brakes" to avoid excessive immune responses. However, cancer cells often hijack these checkpoints to escape immune surveillance.
Checkpoint inhibitors block these pathways, effectively "releasing the brakes" on the immune system, allowing it to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
What are side effects of checkpoint inhibitors?
Some of the most common side effects of checkpoint inhibitors include:
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Nausea
- Skin rash
- Poor appetite
- Constipation
- Muscle and joint pain
- Infusion reactions
- Autoimmune reactions