Immune Checkpoints: The Rising Branch in Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

In the cancer therapy realm, concepts of immunotherapy rose as a response to emerging adverse effects caused by conventional therapies, which to some cases even more quality-of-life-reducing than the cancer itself. Immunotherapy is aimed to systematically enhance immunity to eradicate cancerous cells without harming healthy neighbor cells. In this platform, immune checkpoint molecules are under massive explorations and have been thought to be bringing excellent outlook clinically. These molecules hinder anticancer immunity. As a result, cancer growth is favored. Therefore, inactivation of immune checkpoint by blocking engagement of checkpoint receptors and their cognate ligands will restore the anticancer functions of immune system elements; hence, they can reclaim their power to eradicate cancers. Each checkpoint possesses specific downstream mechanism for which the inhibitors are formulated. In this chapter, we discuss four major checkpoints in the context of general characteristics, structures, and their roles in some cancers. Relevant recent progress in respective checkpoint molecules is also discussed to broaden our horizon on how cancers and immune checkpoint molecules are at interplay.