Immunomodulatory Effects of Drugs for Effective Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive T cell therapies, have contributed to better outcomes in cancer patients. However, there are still many cancers with no cure. Therefore, combinations of several treatment strategies are being explored, and enhancing anticancer immunity will play an important role to combat the disease. There have been several reports on the immune-modulatory effects of commonly used drugs, namely, statin, metformin, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which suggest that these drugs could enhance immunity against cancer cells. Other anticancer drugs, such as anthracyclines, thalidomides, lenalidomides, and hypomethylating drugs, could also strengthen the immune system to attack cancer cells at a relatively low dose. Hence, these drugs might contribute to better outcomes in cancer patients.