Cited by 319Cancer Immunotherapy and BiomarkersImmunotherapy and Immune ResponsesT-cell and B-cell Immunology

Understanding and treating the inflammatory adverse events of cancer immunotherapy

Open access
Dougan, Michael, Luoma, Adrienne M., Dougan, Stephanie K., Wucherpfennig, Kai W.·2021·Cell

Abstract

During the past decade, immunotherapies have made a major impact on the treatment of diverse types of cancer. Inflammatory toxicities are not only a major concern for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved checkpoint blockade and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies, but also limit the development and use of combination therapies. Fundamentally, these adverse events highlight the intricate balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways that regulate protective immune responses. Here, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammatory adverse events, current approaches to treatment, as well as opportunities for the design of immunotherapies that limit such inflammatory toxicities while preserving anti-tumor efficacy.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.011

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  • ICI myocarditis occurs in less than 1% of patients.

    “Despite occurring in <1% of patients”

    From Autoimmune Myocarditis, Old Dogs and New Tricks. (2024) · cites this paper as [179]

    The Overview of checkpoint blockade toxicities (page not provided) says cardiac toxicities from immunotherapy are rare, consistent with the claim’s general point. It does not give a myocarditis incidence or substantiate the specific figure of less than 1% of patients. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • ICI myocarditis has a fatality rate of up to 50%.

    “ICI myocarditis has a high fatality rate of up to 50%.”

    From Autoimmune Myocarditis, Old Dogs and New Tricks. (2024) · cites this paper as [179]

    The Overview of checkpoint blockade toxicities says cardiac toxicities account for a substantial fraction of fatal checkpoint-blockade toxicities, and the Introduction identifies myocarditis as a severe toxicity. Neither passage gives a case-fatality rate for ICI myocarditis or supports the figure of up to 50%. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Activation or re-activation of tissue-resident autoreactive T cells is thought to be a dominant factor in the development of immune-related adverse events.

    “Activation or re-activation of tissue-resident autoreactive T cells is thought to be a dominant factor in the development of irAEs”

    From Hallmarks of response, resistance, and toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade (2021) · cites this paper as Dougan et al., 2021

  • Targeting CTLA-4 could theoretically cause Treg dysfunction or depletion, as shown in mice, though human data are not all supportive.

    “CTLA-4 is also expressed on Tregs; targeting CTLA-4 could theoretically lead to Treg cell dysfunction or depletion as has been demonstrated in mice (Simpson et al., 2013), though not all data support this notion in humans”

    From Hallmarks of response, resistance, and toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade (2021) · cites this paper as Dougan et al., 2021

  • Nearly 25% of melanoma patients develop new autoantibodies after immune checkpoint blockade, but typical autoimmune antibody targets are not always seen in immune-related adverse events even when the same target is affected.

    “Nearly 25% of patients developed new autoantibodies following treatment with ICB for melanoma; however, the typical antibody targets observed in autoimmune disease are not always seen in irAEs even when the same target is affected”

    From Hallmarks of response, resistance, and toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade (2021) · cites this paper as Dougan et al., 2021

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Authors
Dougan, M., Luoma, A. M., Dougan, S. K., & Wucherpfennig, K. W.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
Corresponding author
  • Dougan, Michael
  • Wucherpfennig, Kai W.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-03
Volume
184
Issue
6
Pages
1575-1588
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3134238388
Cited by
319
References
84
Citations by year
2026: 53 · 2025: 72 · 2024: 87 · 2023: 66 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 10 · 2015: 1
FWCI
5.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Melanoma Research Alliance
  • National Institutes of Health
  • American Cancer Society
  • American Gastroenterological Association
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
cancer immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, immune-related adverse events, immunotherapy toxicity management, combination immunotherapy, antitumor immunity
MeSH terms
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Animals, Humans, Immunotherapy, Inflammation, Neoplasms, T-Lymphocytes, Cytokines

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