Resistance mechanisms to checkpoint inhibitors

Although multiple immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been identified and tested in the clinic, antibodies blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have produced the greatest impact on cancer treatment. Many potential mechanisms of treatment failure have been proposed from pre-clinical animal and human translational studies. Pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are underway to better understand how resistance arises and to develop strategies that can circumvent these resistance mechanisms and sensitize patients to anti-PD1/PD-L1 to improve clinical outcomes.

Automated summary

Antibodies blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have shown the most significant impact on cancer treatment among various immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Both pre-clinical animal studies and human translational studies have proposed potential mechanisms of treatment failure, leading to ongoing efforts to develop strategies that can overcome resistance mechanisms and sensitize patients to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 for improved clinical outcomes.