The relative and absolute benefit of programmed death receptor-1 vs programmed death ligand 1 therapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionProgrammed death receptor-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) inhibitors have shown promising results in treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our objective was to compare the relative and absolute benefits between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in advanced NSCLC.Materials and methodsPubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched up to Dec 1, 2019, for randomized controlled trials of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors that had available overall survival (OS) data in NSCLC. Random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled estimates.ResultsTwenty-three randomized controlled trials (15,797 patients) of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors were included in the analysis. PD-1 inhibitors significantly extended OS compared with standard of care therapy (difference in means, 4.80 months, 95% CI 3.41–6.18; HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.66–0.78; P < 0.01 for both). PD-L1 inhibitors also significantly improved OS compared with standard of care therapy (difference in means, 2.59 months 95% CI 1.47–3.71; HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.79–0.88; P < 0.01 for both). More importantly, PD-1 inhibitors had significantly higher OS than PD-L1 inhibitors (difference in means, P = 0.015; HR, P = 0.006). The same increased OS benefit was observed in patients with PD-L1 ≥1% (P = 0.035) and PD-L1 <1% (P = 0.007). However, OS did not differ between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with an EGFR mutation-positive status (P = 0.724) and who were never smokers (P = 0.999).ConclusionsPD-1 inhibitors showed superior relative and absolute OS benefits compared with PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. These findings have implications for treatment selection in current clinical practice and future study design.     

PD-1/PD-L1单抗治疗晚期非小细胞肺癌引起免疫治疗相关性肺炎的网状Meta分析

目的:采用网状Meta分析(network meta-analysis,NMA),比较程序性细胞死亡蛋白-1及其配体(PD-1/PD-L1)单克隆抗体的不同治疗方案在晚期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)中导致免疫治疗相关性肺炎(IRP)的风险。方法:从PubMed、Embase和Cochrane Library数据库中检索PD-1/PD-L1单抗治疗晚期NSCLC的Ⅱ/Ⅲ期随机对照试验(RCT),检索时限为建库起至2021年6月1日。采用STATA 16.0和R软件4.1.0进行NMA。结果:共纳入30篇RCTs,包含18 425名患者。1~5级IRP的NMA结果显示,与化疗相比,PD-1单抗以及PD-L1单抗治疗均导致IRP的风险增高(P<0.05);PD-1单抗单药比PD-L1单抗单药及PD-L1单抗联合化疗发生IRP的风险增加(P<0.05);PD-1单抗+CTLA-4抑制剂发生IRP的风险高于PD-L1单抗、PD-1/PD-L1单抗+化疗(P<0.05);在3~5级IRP中,PD-1单抗、PD-1/PD-L1单抗+CTLA-4抑制剂发生IRP的风险高于PD-L1单抗+化疗(P<0.05);PD-1单抗+化疗发生重度IRP的风险低于PD-1单抗+CTLA-4抑制剂(P<0.05)。累积排序曲线下面积排序结果显示:发生1~5级和3~5级IRP可能性最高的均为PD-1单抗+CTLA-4抑制剂。结论:在晚期NSCLC的治疗中,PD-1/PD-L1单抗发生IRP的风险均高于化疗,PD-1单抗+CTLA-4抑制剂发生IRP的可能性最高,PD-1单抗发生IRP的风险高于PD-L1单抗。     

Predictive effect of PD-L1 expression for immune checkpoint inhibitor (PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors) treatment for non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis

BackgroundProgrammed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) is a well-known predictive biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, however, its accuracy remains controversial. Here, we investigated the correlation between PD-L1 expression level and efficacy of its inhibitors, and hence assessed the predictive effect of PD-L1 expression.MethodsStudies that evaluated the efficacy of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/ PD-L1 inhibitors in advanced NSCLC patients according to tumor PD-L1 expression levels were searched for on Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase. The pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for the objective response rate (ORR) with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were measured in terms of hazard ratio (HR) and the corresponding 95% CIs.Results1432 NSCLC patients from six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included and three PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (atezolizumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab) were used to treat the patients. A significantly higher ORR was observed in the high PD-L1 expression group compared to the low expression group (0.35 [95% CI, 0.30–0.40] vs 0.11 [95% CI, 0.09–0.14]). The results of the subgroup analysis, grouped by the type of drugs and antibodies which assess immune checkpoint inhibitors were identical with the pooled result. However, our study showed that PD-L1 expression was neither prognostic nor predictive of overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors compared to chemotherapy.ConclusionsPD-L1 can be a predictive biomarker for ORR. Nevertheless, PD-L1 expression is not a good predictive tool for OS and PFS.     

Prognostic and clinicopathological utility of PD-L2 expression in patients with digestive system cancers: A meta-analysis

ObjectiveProgrammed death ligand-2 (PD-L2) has been detected in various cancers. However, its prognostic value in digestive system cancers (DSCs) remains unclear. Accordingly, this meta-analysis investigated the prognostic and clinicopathological utility of PD-L2 in patients with DSCs.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov., Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases for eligible studies up to April 30, 2020. The hazard ratio (HR), odds ratio (OR), and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of the outcomes were calculated.ResultsTwenty two studies with 4886 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that PD-L2 overexpression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR 1.470, 95% CI: 1.252–1.728, p < 0.001) and worse disease-free survival (DFS) (HR1.598, 95% CI: 1.398–1.826, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that elevated PD-L2 was a significant prognostic indicator of worse OS in hepatocellular carcinoma (HR 1.703, 95% CI: 1.456–1.991, p < 0.001) and colorectal cancer (HR 3.811, 95% CI: 1.718–8.454, p = 0.001). Concerning clinicopathologic factors, PD-L2 overexpression was associated with lymphatic metastasis (OR 1.394., 95% CI: 1.101–1.764, p = 0.006), tumor metastasis (OR 1.599, 95% CI: 1.072–2.383, p = 0.021), and the histopathological stage (OR 0.704, 95% CI: 0.566–0.875, p = 0.002).ConclusionPD-L2 overexpression in DSCs after surgery might predict a poor prognosis, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. Larger patient cohorts are needed to validate its prognostic role.     

Novel phthalimides regulating PD-1/PD-L1 interaction as potential immunotherapy agents

Programmed cell death 1(PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1) have emerged as one of the most promising immune checkpoint targets for cancer immunotherapy. Despite the inherent advantages of small-molecule inhibitors over antibodies, the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors has fallen behind that of antibody drugs. Based on docking studies between small molecule inhibitor and PD-L1 protein, changing the chemical linker of inhibitor from a flexible chain to an aromatic ring may improve its binding capacity to PD-L1 protein, which was not reported before. A series of novel phthalimide derivatives from structure-based rational design was synthesized. P39 was identified as the best inhibitor with promising activity, which not only inhibited PD-1/PD-L1 interaction (IC₅₀ = 8.9 nmol/L), but also enhanced killing efficacy of immune cells on cancer cells. Co-crystal data demonstrated that P39 induced the dimerization of PD-L1 proteins, thereby blocking the binding of PD-1/PD-L1. Moreover, P39 exhibited a favorable safety profile with a LD₅₀ > 5000 mg/kg and showed significant in vivo antitumor activity through promoting CD8⁺ T cell activation. All these data suggest that P39 acts as a promising small chemical inhibitor against the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and has the potential to improve the immunotherapy efficacy of T-cells.     

PD-1/PD-L1 pathway inhibitors in advanced prostate cancer

Introduction: Pharmacological inhibition of immune checkpoint receptors or their ligands represents a transformative breakthrough in the management of multiple cancers. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors have yet to be FDA-approved for the management of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), the commonest non-cutaneous malignancy in men.

Areas covered: We review our current understanding of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in cancer, the use of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapeutics in PCa, and potential subgroups of PCa patients who may derive the greatest benefit from these agents (such as men with tumors that have expression of PD-L1 and/or high mutational load). We also review the prior and current clinical trials evaluating the blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 in PCa, highlighting some of the key ongoing studies of greatest relevance to the field.

Expert commentary: Clinical trials investigating PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors should be encouraged in patients with PCa. While it is unlikely that immune checkpoint monotherapies will produce long-lasting responses in a substantial proportion of patients, there is early evidence of activity in some patient subsets. These subgroups may include those with high PD-L1 expression, those with hypermutated or microsatellite-unstable tumors, and those enriched for germline and/or somatic DNA-repair gene mutations (e.g. intraductal/ductal histology, primary Gleason pattern 5, and perhaps AR-V7-positive tumors).     

PD-1/PD-L1信号通路在黑色素瘤中的研究进展

细胞程序性死亡因子1(programmed death-1,PD-1)及其配体1(programmed death-ligand 1,PD-L1)是一对共刺激分子,激活细胞程序性死亡因子1及其配体1信号通路可抑制肿瘤特异性T细胞活性,有助于肿瘤细胞逃避免疫监视.而阻断该通路可以激活机体抗肿瘤免疫应答,抑制肿瘤细胞的生长...     

Development of small-molecule immune checkpoint inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 as a new therapeutic strategy for tumour immunotherapy

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy has been increasingly utilised to treat advanced malignancies. The signalling network of immune checkpoints has attracted considerable attention. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are revolutionising the treatment options and expectations for patients with cancer. The reported clinical success of targeting the T-cell immune checkpoint receptors PD-1/PD-L1 has demonstrated the importance of immune modulation. Indeed, antibodies binding to PD-1 or PD-L1 have shown remarkable efficacy. However, antibody drugs have many disadvantages, such as their production cost, stability, and immunogenicity and, therefore, small-molecule inhibitors of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 are being introduced. Small-molecule inhibitors could offer inherent advantages in terms of pharmacokinetics and druggability, thereby providing additional methods for cancer treatment and achieving better therapeutic effects. In this review, we first discuss how PD-1/PD-L1-targeting inhibitors modulate the relationship between immune cells and tumour cells in tumour immunotherapy. Second, we discuss how the immunomodulatory potential of these inhibitors can be exploited via rational combinations with immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Third, this review is the first to summarise the current clinical and preclinical evidence regarding small-molecule inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint, considering features and responses related to the tumours and to the host immune system.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02812875.     

PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂在非黑色素瘤治疗中致白癜风的文献病例分析

目的 探讨程序性死亡受体1(PD-1)/程序性死亡配体1(PD-L1)抑制剂在非黑色素瘤治疗中所致白癜风的临床特点。方法 检索中国知网、万方医学、PubMed、Embase、Web of Science建库至2022年7月31日收录的PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂在非黑色素瘤中所致白癜风的病例报告类文献进行描述性统计分析。结果 纳入分析的患者共25例,其中男性18例,女性7例;年龄32～79岁;25例患者首次使用PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂至发生白癜风最短时间为6 d,最长时间为5年,中位发生时间为用药后5个月。白癜风主要分布在头皮、面部、手部、四肢和躯干,可伴有其他免疫相关性不良事件,以甲状腺居多;皮肤活检表现为病变及病灶周围皮肤黑色素细胞及黑色素的缺失。20名患者进行了疗效评估,完全缓解6例,部分缓解3例,疾病稳定8例,疾病进展3例。结论 白癜风是PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂在非黑色素瘤治疗中的一种罕见不良反应,白癜风的发生可能与良好的临床结果相关。     

Efficacy and safety of CTLA-4 inhibitors combined with PD-1 inhibitors or chemotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma

BackgroundAlthough immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy has demonstrated significant efficacy in advanced melanoma, no study has systematically evaluated the efficacy and safety of the combination regimens. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis to explore the efficacy and safety of CTLA-4 inhibitors combined with PD-1 inhibitors or chemotherapy in advanced melanoma.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of Medline, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for relevant clinical trials. The primary objective was to explore the efficacy and safety of combination regimens compared to monotherapy. The secondary objective was to compare the difference in efficacy between CTLA-4 inhibitors plus PD-1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors plus chemotherapy.ResultsA total of 12 trials involving 3308 patients were included for our meta-analysis. For combination regimens compared to monotherapy, the pooled HR for overall survival (OS) was 0.67 (95%CI 0.53–0.81) and for progression-free survival (PFS) was 0.56 (95%CI 0.41–0.71). For CTLA-4 inhibitors plus PD-1 inhibitors, the combined one-year OS rate (OSR_1y), six-month PFS rate (PFSR_6m) and disease control rate (DCR) were 64.0% (95%CI: 49.6%–78.4%), 56.4% (95%CI: 50.1%–62.7%) and 69.9% (95%CI: 65.1%–74.7%), respectively. For CTLA-4 inhibitors plus chemotherapy, the combined OSR_1y, PFSR_6m and DCR were 35.2% (95%CI: 25.4%–45.0%), 54.6% (95%CI: 42.7%–66.60%) and 33.5% (95%CI: 28.0%–38.9%), respectively.ConclusionsCombination regimens significantly improved OS and PFS of advanced melanoma patients compared to monotherapy. An acceptable safety profile was observed in both CTLA-4 inhibitors plus PD-1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. A comparison of these two combination regimens showed that patients who received CTLA-4 inhibitors plus PD-1 inhibitors had a better therapeutic effect compared to those receiving CTLA-4 inhibitors plus chemotherapy. Further randomized clinical trials are urgently required to validate our results.     

程序性死亡受体1的检测方法及其在乳腺癌中表达的研究进展

近年来,肿瘤的免疫治疗已成为继传统手术、放疗、化疗、内分泌治疗和靶向药物治疗手段之后新的治疗方法,尤其以程序性死亡受体1(PD-1)/程序性死亡配体1(PD-L1)位靶点的免疫检查点抑制治疗使得非小细胞肺癌、黑色素瘤等恶性实体肿瘤患者获得了有效持久的临床获益。PD-L1的检测是免疫检查点抑制剂治疗的关键环节,但在乳腺癌中的其检测方法和判定标准尚未统一。就PD-L1的检测方法以及其在乳腺癌各分子分型中的表达进行综述。     

PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂治疗血液恶性肿瘤综述

目的：程序性死亡受体-1（programmed death-1,PD-1）及其配体（programmed death-ligand 1,PD-L1）作为肿瘤免疫治疗的有效靶点之一,其抑制剂为血液恶性肿瘤的治愈带来了新的希望。本文旨在综述近年来PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂在血液恶性肿瘤,包括恶性淋巴瘤、白血病及多发性骨髓瘤（MM）方面的临床研究进展,并总结其对于血液恶性肿瘤的治疗效果。方法：在PubMed、Medline、The Cochrane Library、Embase、Elsevier、John Wiley等外文数据库及中国知网（CNKI）、万方、维普等中文数据库进行文献检索。结果：PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂多应用于恶性淋巴瘤的治疗,在各类白血病及MM的研究尚处于探索研究阶段。不同疾病获得的疗效存在差异,但整体较好,尤其是复发/难治经典霍奇金淋巴瘤（R/R cHL）。结论：PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂可显著提高缓解率,但仍有诸多争议有待进一步解决。     

The progress and confusion of anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Recently, immunotherapy has evolved into a true treatment modality with the approval of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors as the standard care for first-line treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Until now, for patients with advanced NSCLC, treatment of targeting immune checkpoints reveals a promising survival benefit, and some patients even get long term survive, which creates a paradigm shift in NSCLC treatment. However, many issues or problems are also appearing in clinical practice, such as the lower overall efficacy rate (20–40%), treatment modes, populations choice of immunotherapy, drug resistance, and safety, etc. Thus, in this review, we will mainly summarize and discuss the recent development and confusion of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for advanced NSCLC patients based on current clinical studies.     

PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂联合其他免疫检查点抑制剂治疗三阴性乳腺癌的研究进展#br#

三阴性乳腺癌（TNBC）具有全身转移率高、对常规治疗不敏感以及容易产生耐药性等特点,导致患者的预后较差。随着对机体免疫系统抗肿瘤机制及TNBC免疫特点的不断探究,以程序性细胞死亡蛋白1（PD-1）和程序性死亡蛋白配体1（PD-L1）为代表的免疫检查点抑制剂为TNBC提供了新的治疗方案,但PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂单药治疗的效果不甚理想。本文就PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂联合其他具有不同机制的免疫检查点抑制剂在TNBC患者中的应用进行综述。     

PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂治疗新型冠状病毒肺炎可行性探讨

2019年12月底我国湖北省武汉市出现由新型冠状病毒引起的新型冠状病毒肺炎,目前临床尚无针对性的特效药或疫苗。本文从PD-1/PD-L1的结构、功能、PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂与免疫相关性肺炎及新型冠状病毒肺炎的临床表现和实验室检查等方面进行综述,认为PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂应用于新型冠状病毒肺炎的治疗需谨慎。     

Atezolizumab for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: The immune system can restrain or promote cancer development and growth. Antibodies targeting immune checkpoints have revolutionized cancer treatment. Among the best responses have been in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which is largely caused by chronic exposure to carcinogens; associated with high neoantigen creation and sensitization to immune recognition. Atezolizumab was the first approved antibody that targets the PD-1 ligand (PD-L1).

Areas covered: This drug profile article covers the basics of the cancer-immunity cycle and reviews some aspects of innate and adaptive immunology. We discuss the discovery of PD-L1 and PD-L2 while highlight the potential differences in targeting PD-L1 versus PD-1. In addition, we briefly summarized the available pre-clinical and clinical data of atezolizumab use in NSCLC. A special section covers the challenges of PD-L1 immunohistochemistry assay.

Expert commentary: PD-1:PD-L1 blockade has taken the lead in the immunotherapeutics field and represents the backbone of developing combination immunotherapies. Atezolizumab represents a step forward in the treatment of advanced NSCLC, nonetheless PD1:PD-L1 blockade in early-stage lung cancer is still a matter of debate.     

PD0325901, an ERK inhibitor,enhances the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor in non-small cell lung carcinoma

ERK pathway regulated the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression which was linked to the response of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 blockade therapy. So it is deducible that ERK inhibitor could enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor in cancer immunotherapy. In this study, PD0325901, an oral potent ERK inhibitor, strongly enhanced the efficacy of PD-1 antibody in vitro and in vivo models in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells. Mechanistically, PD0325901 or shRNA-ERK1/2 significantly downregulated the PD-L1 expression in NSCLC cells and increased the CD3⁺ T cells infiltration and functions in tumor tissue. There was a positive correlation between the p-ERK1/2 expression and PD-L1 expression in patients with NSCLC. And the patients with low p-ERK1/2 expression were observed a high response rate of PD-1/PD-L1 blockage therapy. Our results demonstrate that PD0325901, an ERK inhibitor, can enhance the efficacy of PD-1 blockage against NSCLC in vitro and in vivo models. And the combination of ERK inhibitor such as PD0325901 and PD-1/PD-L1 blockage is a promising regimen and encouraged to be further confirmed in the treatment of patients with NSCLC.     

Releasing the brake: safety profile of immune check-point inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: Immune check-point inhibitors are now employed as single-agents in current practice for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while combinations of different inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials. Although the safety profile of these compounds, with particular reference to drugs targeting programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), is generally considered manageable, peculiar, immune-related toxicities may onset.

Areas covered: This review focuses on the immune-related adverse events (irAEs) observed during immune check-point blockade in NSCLC and their management. The authors report the incidence of irAEs based on the currently available data involving NSCLC and provide recommendations on the general approach to irAEs, as well as indications for the most relevant site-specific events.

Expert opinion: Since irAEs may involve a wide range of organs and systems and are potentially reversible if promptly treated, early diagnosis should always be achieved; this might be particularly challenging when other potential causes of toxicity are suspected, such as infections or concurrent treatments. Finally, drugs active on the PD-1/PD-L1 axis appear to be generally manageable even when they are administered to patients with relevant comorbidities, provided that adequate clinical monitoring is performed.     

PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂致骨髓抑制不良反应文献分析

本文在PubMed、中国知网、万方医学数据库中,对PD-1/PD-L1类药物引起骨髓抑制的个案报道进行系统检索,共得文献55篇.按照入选标准/剔除标准筛选纳入20篇(22例),其中男性14例(占63.6％).使用PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂1周期后发生骨髓抑制12例(占54.55％),17例为Ⅳ级反应(占77.3％),16例表现为血小板减少症(占72.73％),2例表现为全血细胞减少症(占9.09％).为临床了解PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂引起骨髓抑制发生特点、制定监护计划及处理该类不良反应提供依据.