Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

The immune system's intricate network of cells play a critical role in identifying and eliminating cancer cells. Uncontrolled growth of cells and spread is the hallmark of cancer, a disease that continues to pose a serious threat to humanity. Immune checkpoints, including Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1), Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) etc. serve as critical regulatory molecules in the adaptive immune response by sustaining self-tolerance and regulating immune activity and preventing autoimmunity. In lieu of this, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by improving the immune system's capacity to identify and eliminate cancer cells. ICIs targeting CTLA-4, such as ipilimumab, and PD-1/PD-L1, such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab, have demonstrated considerable effectiveness against a variety of malignancies