The DOI matches its Crossref record; 51 of the 51 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Beta blocker use correlates with better overall survival in metastatic melanoma patients and improves the efficacy of immunotherapies in mice
Open accessAbstract
Immunotherapy has expanded treatment options for cancers with historically poor outcomes, yet a significant proportion of patients still fail to achieve durable clinical benefit. We defined the contribution of β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) signaling, a component of the stress response, on success of immunotherapy for melanoma since the use of antagonists (β-blockers) is associated with improved clinical outcomes in some cancers. We show that metastatic melanoma patients who received immunotherapy had improved overall survival if they also received pan β-blockers. This retrospective analysis is reinforced by results showing that βAR blockade enhances the control of murine melanoma growth by anti-(α)PD-1 checkpoint blockade. However, this effect was most significant when β-blocker was combined with dual αPD-1 + high dose interleukin-2 therapy and was reproduced by selective blockade of β2ARs. These results identify a novel strategy that can be quickly introduced to potentially increase the number of patients who benefit from immune-based therapies.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Chronic activation of the sympathetic axis through βAR signaling suppresses cytotoxic T-cell function, whereas β-blockade restores effector activity and improves survival in patients receiving immunotherapy.117”
From Gut dysbiosis in oncology: a risk factor for immunoresistance (2026) · cites this paper as [117]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Siegel, R. L., Miller, K. D., & Jemal, A. (2016) · CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians · doi:10.3322/caac.21332 · Cited by 16,003
Improved Survival with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma
Hodi, F. S., O'Day, S. J., McDermott, D. F., Weber, R. W., Sosman, J. A., Haanen, J. B., Gonzalez, R., Robert, C., Schadendorf, D., Hassel, J. C., et al. (2010) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1003466 · Cited by 15,155
2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
Yancy, C. W., Jessup, M., Bozkurt, B., Butler, J., Casey, D. E., Drazner, M. H., Fonarow, G. C., Geraci, S. A., Horwich, T., Januzzi, J. L., et al. (2013) · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.05.019 · Cited by 12,536
Safety and Tumor Responses with Lambrolizumab (Anti–PD-1) in Melanoma
Hamid, O., Robert, C., DAUD, A. I., Hodi, F. S., Hwu, W., Kefford, R. F., Wolchok, J. D., Hersey, P., Joseph, R. W., Weber, J. S., et al. (2013) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1305133 · Cited by 3,427
Yancy, C. W., Jessup, M., Bozkurt, B., Butler, J., Casey, D. E., Drazner, M. H., Fonarow, G. C., Geraci, S. A., Horwich, T., Januzzi, J. L., et al. (2013) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e31829e8807 · Cited by 3,304
Topalian, S. L., Sznol, M., McDermott, D. F., Kluger, H. M., Carvajal, R. D., Sharfman, W. H., Brahmer, J. R., Lawrence, D. P., Atkins, M. B., Powderly, J. D., et al. (2014) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2013.53.0105 · Cited by 2,222
Atkins, M. B., Lotze, M. T., Dutcher, J. P., Fisher, R. I., Weiss, G. R., Margolin, K. A., Abrams, J., Sznol, M., Parkinson, D., Hawkins, M., et al. (1999) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.1999.17.7.2105 · Cited by 2,043 · cited 1×
“Although complete responses from IL-2 therapy are rare, they are typically durable when achieved.(3,4) These dismal”
BackgroundMelanoma Cell-Intrinsic PD-1 Receptor Functions Promote Tumor Growth
Kleffel, S., Posch, C., Barthel, S. R., Mueller, H., Schlapbach, C., Guenova, E., Elco, C. P., Lee, N., Juneja, V. R., Zhan, Q., et al. (2015) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.08.052 · Cited by 672 · cited 1×
“Previous studies have shown only a minor or insignificant effect of aPD-1 therapy alone on the growth of B16-F10 tumors.(31,32) Consistent with these previous results, we observed a statisti-”
ResultBeta Blockers and Breast Cancer Mortality: A Population- Based Study
Barron, T. I., Connolly, R. M., Sharp, L., Bennett, K., & Visvanathan, K. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2010.33.5422 · Cited by 532
Atkins, M. B., Kunkel, L., Sznol, M., & Rosenberg, S. A. (2000) · PubMed · Cited by 515
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Atkins MB, 2000, Can J Sci Am, 6, S11
- Kuzu OF, 2015, Cancer Growth Metastasis, 8, 81
- Fidler IJ, 1977, Cancer Res, 37, 3945
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 200
‘Know thyself’ – host factors influencing cancer response to immune checkpoint inhibitors
Gunjur, A., Manrique-Rincón, A., Klein, O., Behren, A., Lawley, T. D., Welsh, S. J., & Adams, D. J. (2022) · The Journal of Pathology · doi:10.1002/path.5907 · Cited by 18
“Conversely, similar post hoc clinical analyses have implicated a potential benefit to ICI efficacy from concurrent pan-β-blocker [77], statin [78,79], and antihistamine use [80].”
BackgroundColard‐Thomas, J., Thomas, Q. D., & Viala, M. (2023) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers15082276 · Cited by 18
“showed significantly higher OS in patients with metastatic melanoma receiving ICIs and/or interleukin 2 with concomitant beta blockers, and confirmed the results in a preclinical murine model [119].”
ResultDepression Stresses the Immune Response and Promotes Prostate Cancer Growth
Mohammadpour, H., Bucsek, M. J., Hylander, B. L., & Repasky, E. A. (2019) · Clinical Cancer Research · doi:10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-3980 · Cited by 17
“Importantly, use of b-blockers for other medical issues is associated with longer survival in patients withmelanoma given immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade (9).”
BackgroundSelf-citationDragomir, M. P., Moisoiu, V., Manaila, R., Pardini, B., Knutsen, E., Anfossi, S., Amit, M., & Călin, G. A. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm9113529 · Cited by 17
“In fact, beta-blockers alone are enough to boost the efficacy of immune-based therapies in mice [159].”
BackgroundSun, H., Wang, T., Jiang, X., Li, M., He, X., Ma, Y., Li, X., Jin, W., & Jiao, Z. (2025) · Molecular Cancer · doi:10.1186/s12943-025-02412-9 · Cited by 18
“Emerging clinical evidence indicates that β-blocker therapy is associated with improved survival in cancer patients [270].”
Katsarelias, D., Eriksson, H., Mikiver, R., Krakowski, I., Nilsson, J. A., Ny, L., & Bagge, R. O. (2020) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers12113228 · Cited by 16
“They also showed tumor inhibition in a parallel murine model by the use of propranolol in addition to CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors [22,23].”
BackgroundThe neuroimmune axis in breast cancer: from mechanistic insights to clinical applications
Wu, Y., Zhang, K., 夏新亚, Zhang, T., Jiang, N., Zhang, Y., Zheng, F., Jiang, Y., Xiang, X., Miao, H., et al. (2026) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-026-04870-4 · Cited by 15
“In ovarian cancer models, it enhances antitumor effects when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment in breast cancer models [53, 291, 300].”
Self-citationNeural regulation of drug resistance in cancer treatment
Liu, D., Li, X., Chen, X., Sun, Y. H., Tang, A., Li, Z., Zheng, J., & Shi, M. (2018) · Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer · doi:10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.10.001 · Cited by 15
Ascierto, P. A., Agarwala, S. S., Botti, G., Budillon, A., Davies, M. A., Dummer, R., Ernstoff, M. S., Ferrone, S., Formenti, S. C., Gajewski, T. F., et al. (2019) · Journal of Translational Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12967-019-1979-z · Cited by 15
New challenges in psycho‐oncology: Neural regulation of the cancer genome
Cole, S. W. (2018) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.4838 · Cited by 15
The sympathetic nervous system shapes the tumor microenvironment to impair chemotherapy response
Manoleras, A. V., Sloan, E. K., & Chang, A. (2024) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2024.1460493 · Cited by 15
Tokunaga, K., Fujiwara, Y., Omori, R., Sato, T., Ahluwalia, M. S., & Mukherjee, S. (2025) · Targeted Oncology · doi:10.1007/s11523-025-01184-y · Cited by 15
Control of immune cell trafficking through inter-organ communication
Nakai, A., Leach, S., & Suzuki, K. (2021) · International Immunology · doi:10.1093/intimm/dxab009 · Cited by 14
Wang, J., Lu, S., Meng, Y., Fu, W., & Zhou, X. (2022) · European Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175135 · Cited by 14
T cell receptor therapy against melanoma—Immunotherapy for the future?
Winge-Main, A., Wälchli, S., & Inderberg, E. M. (2020) · Scandinavian Journal of Immunology · doi:10.1111/sji.12927 · Cited by 14
Antihypertensives and melanoma: An updated review
Williams, N. M., Vincent, L. T., Rodriguez, G. A., & Nouri, K. (2020) · Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research · doi:10.1111/pcmr.12918 · Cited by 14
“This is supported by studies that have found the tumorigenic effects of norepinephrine to be reversed predominantly by β2-antagonism (Estrada, Ağaç, & Farrar, 2016; Kokolus et al., 2018).”
BackgroundAyşit, N., Altintas, E., Alkan, F. K., Öztürk, G., & Körkaya, H. (2026) · Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology · doi:10.3389/fcell.2026.1667459 · Cited by 18
“As noted above, pharmacological modulation of stress circuits, such as using β -adrenergic or α - adrenergic receptor blockers, is being explored to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy in cancer patients (Carnet Le Provost et al., 2023; Kokolus et al., 2018).”
Ammons, D. T., MacDonald, C. R., Chow, L., Repasky, E. A., & DOW, S. W. (2023) · Veterinary and Comparative Oncology · doi:10.1111/vco.12891 · Cited by 13
Self-citationKennedy, O. J., & Neary, M. T. (2022) · Journal of Immunotherapy · doi:10.1097/cji.0000000000000433 · Cited by 13
ß-Adrenoreceptors in Human Cancers
Krabóth, Z., & Kálmán, B. (2023) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms24043671 · Cited by 14
“Furthermore, ß2-AR blockade improves the antitumor efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors or other forms of immune therapy (IL-2, αCTLA-4, and/or αPD-1) [86].”
BackgroundCancer Neuroscience: Decoding Neural Circuitry in Tumor Evolution for Targeted Therapy
Yuan, M., Xi, R., Kang, Y., Kuang, M., & Ji, X. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202506813 · Cited by 16
β‐Adrenergic signaling in skin cancer
Batalla‐Covello, J., Ali, S. R., Xie, T., & Amit, M. (2021) · FASEB BioAdvances · doi:10.1096/fba.2021-00097 · Cited by 11
Bozec, A. L., Brügel, M., Djerada, Z., Ayad, M., Perrier, M., Carlier, C., Botsen, D., Nazeyrollas, P., Bouché, O., & Slimano, F. (2023) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1137791 · Cited by 11
“Knowing the contribution of betaAR signaling to the increasing efficacy of immunotherapy could explain the better survival observed in immunogenic cancers such as melanoma, lung, and breast cancer (Kokolus et al., 2018; Mellgard et al., 2022).”
BackgroundLeshem, Y., Etan, T., Dolev, Y., Nikolaevski‐Berlin, A., Miodovnik, M., Shamai, S., Merimsky, O., Wolf, I., Havakuk, O., Tzuberi, M., et al. (2023) · International Journal of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2023.131642 · Cited by 11
β2‐adrenergic receptor expression in patients receiving bevacizumab therapy for metastatic melanoma
Schuster, C., Akslen, L. A., & Straume, O. (2023) · Cancer Medicine · doi:10.1002/cam4.6424 · Cited by 11
Leung, E. L., Huang, J., Zhang, J., Zhang, J., Wang, M., Zhu, Y., Meng, Z., Yu, H., Neher, E., Ma, L., et al. (2022) · Antioxidants and Redox Signaling · doi:10.1089/ars.2021.0243 · Cited by 11
Paul, D., & Nedelcu, A. M. (2022) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.1040034 · Cited by 11
Mendes, A. D., Freitas, A. R., Vicente, R. S., Ferreira, R., Martins, T., Ramos, M. J., Baptista, C., Silva, B. M., Margarido, I., Vitorino, M. M., et al. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.52194 · Cited by 10
“The former targets both β 1ARs and β 2ARs, while the latter solely targets β 1Ars [21].”
BackgroundTopical application of local anesthetics to melanoma increases the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy
Tibenský, M., Blaško, F., Vargovič, P., Jakubı́ková, J., Cholujová, D., Jakubechova, J., & Mravec, B. (2023) · Neoplasma · doi:10.4149/neo_2023_230418n216 · Cited by 10
The Adrenergic Nerve Network in Cancer
Magnon, C. (2021) · Advances in experimental medicine and biology · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-73119-9_15 · Cited by 10
Unraveling the peripheral nervous System's role in tumor: A Double-edged Sword
Wang, Y.-H., Xuan, Y., Liu, C., Wang, X., & Yu, K. (2025) · Cancer Letters · doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2025.217451 · Cited by 9
Neurobiology of Cancer: Introduction of New Drugs in the Treatment and Prevention of Cancer
Mravec, B. (2021) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms22116115 · Cited by 8
“It has been shown that propranolol enhanced the efficacy of anti(α)PD-1 checkpoint blockade in a murine model of melanoma [102].”
BackgroundMulti-scale network targeting: A holistic systems-biology approach to cancer treatment
Paul, D., & Komarova, N. L. (2021) · Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.08.004 · Cited by 8
The Nervous System as a Regulator of Cancer Hallmarks: Insights into Therapeutic Implications
Torres-Juárez, K. V., QUEIROGA, F. L., & Romero-Romero, L. P. (2022) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers14184372 · Cited by 9
“In addition, it has been experimentally observed that treatments with beta-blockers in conjunction with other therapies, such as chemotherapeutics [51], immunotherapies with αPD-1 [48], or metformin [52], experimentally prevent the tumor growth and its progression.”
BackgroundThe effect of common medications on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors
Brinzevich, D., Falvello, V. B., Rehmani, S. S., Strohbehn, G. W., Ramnath, N., Dykstra, M. P., Higgins, L. M., Elliott, D., Schipper, M. J., Green, M. D., et al. (2025) · Cancer · doi:10.1002/cncr.70222 · Cited by 7
Peripheral Nerves in Cancer: Regulatory Roles and Therapeutic Strategies
Fu, Y., Ge, Z., Cao, Q., Li, Z., Zhang, A., Zhu, H., & Teng, G. (2026) · MedComm · doi:10.1002/mco2.70594 · Cited by 8
“NGF is a key regulator of pain signaling and local tissue nociception [ 195, 196 ].”
Noel, J., Jouinot, A., Alexandre, J., Ulmann, G., Bretagne, M., Ajgal, Z. C., Percin, S. D., Villeminey, C., Revel, M., Peyromaure, M., et al. (2022) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers14133214 · Cited by 7
“Concomitant medication that could impact the immune response was recorded [20,21].”
BackgroundNg, K. Y. Y., Teo, A. E., Tan, S. H., Tan, J. J. E., Tay, D. S. H., Lee, A. W. X., Ang, A. J. S., Wong, L. W. J., Choo, S. P., Toh, H. C., et al. (2024) · Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1111/ajco.14139 · Cited by 6
“This is postulated to be due to the inhibition of stress-driven beta-adrenergic receptor signaling, which may be immunosuppressive [17].”
Neuroimmune axis in gastrointestinal cancers: From mechanisms to therapeutic breakthrough
Zhang, Y., Chen, J., Zhou, Y., Jiang, Y., Hu, J., Liu, X., & Zhou, J. (2025) · Cell Reports · doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116059 · Cited by 7
Self-citationNeural control of Immunotherapy: how Tumor-innervation shapes Anti-Tumor immune responses
Satilmis, H., Denis, A., Vanderkerken, K., Bruyne, E. D., Menu, E., Sloan, E. K., & Veirman, K. D. (2025) · Brain Behavior and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2025.106239 · Cited by 6
Cancer Development and Progression in Patients with Heart Failure
Seuthe, K., Picard, F. S. R., Winkels, H., & Pfister, R. (2024) · Current Heart Failure Reports · doi:10.1007/s11897-024-00680-y · Cited by 7
“Further studies suggest that the effects of propranolol are amplified when combined with other therapies [54].”
BackgroundMa, P., Zhang, Z., Qian, M., Jiang, H., Zhao, Y., Shan, Q., Liu, X., Yao, T., & Guo, J. (2024) · Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology · doi:10.1177/17588359241292227 · Cited by 5
Induced Vascular Normalization—Can One Force Tumors to Surrender to a Better Microenvironment?
Sun, X., Nosrati, Z., Ko, J., Lee, C.-M., Bennewith, K. L., & Bally, M. B. (2023) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15082022 · Cited by 8
Elucidating the mechanisms of psychosocial influences on cancer using preclinical in vivo models
Sloan, E. K., & Walker, A. K. (2019) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.02.007 · Cited by 5
Lloyd, M., Sloan, E. K., Marquina, C., Bouttell, J., Hassanien, O., Botteri, E., & Ademi, Z. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13222929 · Cited by 4
“Processes that drive tumour progression are increased by β -adrenergic signalling [10–12]. β -blocker drugs inhibit these processes by blocking β -adrenergic receptors, which reduces cancer progression in preclinical models, both alone and in combination with standard treatments for TNBC [13–15].”
Role of the neurotransmitter-receptor pathway in T-cell tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy
Fan, M., & Zhao, X. (2025) · Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica · doi:10.3724/abbs.2025216 · Cited by 4
Tang, Y., Deng, X., Yi, M., Wang, D., Zheng, C., Zhao, S., & Zhao, R. (2025) · Advanced Healthcare Materials · doi:10.1002/adhm.202503019 · Cited by 3
Zhao, Y., Sui, J.-F., Wu, D., Chen, M., Ni, J., Zhang, Y., Xin, S.-Y., & Fan, M. (2026) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1682356 · Cited by 4
Self-citationLIU, H. J., Li, X., Yu, J., & Chen, T. (2026) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2026.1789297 · Cited by 3
Coleman, M., Mascialino, S. J., Panjwani, A., Edwards, E., Sukhatme, V. V., Gavegnano, C., & Sukhatme, V. P. (2024) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1281744 · Cited by 4
Lorrey, S., Wachsmuth, L. P., Finlay, J. B., Neff, C., Ayasoufi, K., Polania, J. W., Hoyt-Miggelbrink, A. M., Price, M., Rein, L. A. M., Dell, S., et al. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.11.02.565368 · Cited by 3
Exploring the Neurobiological Mechanisms of Cancer Growth
Hussain, M. S., Maqbool, M., Agrawal, M., Rana, A. J., Sultana, A., Sulthana, N., Bisht, A. S., & Khan, G. (2025) · Current Pharmaceutical Design · doi:10.2174/0113816128402718250806151308 · Cited by 2
Perioperative Immunomodulation and Cancer Recurrence
Villa, J. F., Ramirez, M. F., Anderson, J. L., Sikora, A. G., Sharma, J., & Cata, J. P. (2026) · International Anesthesiology Clinics · doi:10.1097/aia.0000000000000509 · Cited by 2
Liu, C., Ruan, Y., Huang, R., Fang, L., Wu, T., Lv, Y., Cui, L., Liao, Y., Wang, B., Chen, Z., et al. (2024) · Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy · doi:10.1007/s00262-024-03747-w · Cited by 2
“A study involving 195 metastatic malignant melanoma patients observed prolonged OS in patients who received immunotherapy (IL-2, anti-PD-1, or anti-CTLA-4) and were taking pan beta blockers experienced [36].”
BackgroundSelf-citationStatin use in resected, high-risk cutaneous melanoma: A multi-centre retrospective cohort study
Wang, C. Y., Shackleton, M. J., Mailer, S., McArthur, G. A., Zoungas, S., Wolfe, R. S., & Mar, V. (2024) · EJC Skin Cancer · doi:10.1016/j.ejcskn.2024.100017 · Cited by 2
Fjæstad, K. Y., Rømer, A. M. A., Goitea, V. E., Johansen, A. Z., Thorseth, M., Carretta, M., Engelholm, L. H., Grøntved, L., Junker, N., & Madsen, D. H. (2021) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2021.03.11.434711 · Cited by 2
“concurrent usage of propranolol correlates with prolonged overall survival (68).”
BackgroundPeripheral nerves-cancer cross-talk: the next frontier in cancer treatment
Wang, L., Qi, T., Tang, L., Wang, Y., ChenLiu, Z., Wang, D., & Tang, D. (2025) · Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry · doi:10.1007/s11010-025-05256-5 · Cited by 2
Social Genomics and Cancer: Neural Regulation of the Cancer Genome
Knight, J. M., & Cole, S. W. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-85702-8_21 · Cited by 1
The Role of the Microenvironment in Tumor Promoting Stress Responses
Dillekås, H., Schuster, C., Davidsen, K. T., & Straume, O. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-98950-7_31 · Cited by 1
The Renin-Angiotensin System and Cancer
Koh, S. P., Kilmister, E. J., Wickremesekera, A., Munro, M. J., Gray, C., & Tan, S. T. (2023) · Advances in biochemistry in health and disease · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-23621-1_15 · Cited by 1
Perspectives in Melanoma: meeting report from the Melanoma Bridge (December 3rd–5th, 2020, Italy)
Ascierto, P. A., Blank, C. U., Dummer, R., Ernstoff, M. S., Ferrone, S., Fox, B. A., Gajewski, T. F., Garbe, C., Hwu, P., Kaliński, P., et al. (2021) · Journal of Translational Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12967-021-02951-x · Cited by 1
Modi, N. D., Abuhelwa, A. Y., Menz, B. D., McKinnon, R. A., Sorich, M. J., & Hopkins, A. M. (2021) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.732622 · Cited by 1
“, at cancer diagnosis) (Lévesque et al., 2010). If individuals who commence the use of a beta-blocker at a later time are included in the exposed group, then it is important to use more complex analysis methods (e.g., landmark, time-dependent covariate) to avoid immortal time bias (Weberpals et al., 2016). We note tha…”
BackgroundMethodThe complexity of cancer immunotherapy illustrated through skin tumors
Vieco-Martí, I., López-Carrasco, A., de la Cruz‐Merino, L., Noguera, R., & Naranjo, T. Á. (2022) · The International Journal of Biological Markers · doi:10.1177/03936155221088884
“However, recent research conducted by Kokolus et al.(18) found that administration of the beta-blocker propranolol enhances the effect of alphaPD1+ IL2 IT in murine melanoma.”
ResultTuosto, L. (2019) · Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature · doi:10.3410/f.735818634.793561232
Kapfhammer, H. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65873-4_12
Gandhi, S., Pandey, M. R., Attwood, K. M., Ji, W., Witkiewicz, A. K., Knudsen, E. S., Allen, C. L., Tario, J. D., Wallace, P. K., Cedeno, C. D., et al. (2023) · doi:10.1158/1078-0432.c.6530279
Self-citationQiao, G., Chen, M., Mohammadpour, H., MacDonald, C. R., Bucsek, M. J., Hylander, B. L., Barbi, J. J., & Repasky, E. A. (2023) · doi:10.1158/2326-6066.c.6550284.v1
Self-citationNeuroimmunoregulation of Cancer: The Case for Multiple Myeloma
Aqeel, S. B., James, C. M., Hillengass, J., & Repasky, E. A. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-32429-1_7
Self-citationModulação colinérgica de células dendríticas: relevante no contexto do glioblastoma?
Cardoso, R. D. S. (2023) · Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo) · doi:10.11606/d.42.2023.tde-12012024-160445
Kaliński, P., Kokolus, K. M., Azrak, R. G., Berezin, M. Y., Brentjens, R. J., Czerniecki, B. J., Дубров, С. О., Eaton, K., Gandhi, S., Griffiths, E. A., et al. (2023) · Wiadomości Lekarskie · doi:10.36740/wlek202312101
Self-citationStress as a Factor Contributing in Cancer Initiation
Mravec, B. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-68590-3_34
Influencing the Efficacy of Anticancer Treatments
Mravec, B. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-68590-3_55
Stress as a Factor Stimulating Cancer Progression and Metastasis and Increasing Cancer Mortality
Mravec, B. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-68590-3_35
Paul, D. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-08808-6_12 · Cited by 2
Werk, J., Baden, D., Shaforostova, I., Mikesch, J., Reicherts, C., Marx, J., Lenz, G., Schliemann, C., Stelljes, M., & Pohlmann, A. (2026) · Annals of Hematology · doi:10.1007/s00277-026-06962-w
Cancer-Induced Ileopathy and Dysbiosis Contribute to Carcinogenesis
Yonekura, S. (2020) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/d456a746zde60z4ec9zab97zefec41211866
Gut microbiota-related biomarkers in immuno-oncology
Silva, C. A. C. (2023) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/9022496ez0bbbz4f94z9760z4ae0a6ee5e7a
Drug Repurposing Strategies in the Era of Precision Oncology
Orhan, A. (2026) · Cancer drug discovery and develogment/Cancer drug discovery and development · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-24071-2_14
Neural state as a determinant of tumor immunity in lung cancer
Yu, J., Qi, J., Que, Z., Kong, X., & Feng, Y. (2026) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2026.108261
Zhou, L. E. T. A. O., Luo, X., Bao, T., Sun, H., He, C., Yang, Y., & Xia, Y. (2026) · Chinese Medical Journal · doi:10.1097/cm9.0000000000004144
Neuro-immune interactions in cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects
Liu, J., Zhang, C., ZHANG, C., Pei, J., & Li, Y. (2026) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2026.1729908
Fan, Z., Wang, N., Zhang, B., Deng, K., Fu, J., Ma, L., Li, J., Xu, Z., & Guo, Y. (2026) · Journal of Neuroinflammation · doi:10.1186/s12974-026-03933-w
“Pro-pranolol enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade in metastatic melanoma [111].”
Neural–tumor crosstalk in driving tumor metabolic reprogramming
Xiao, X., Zhang, C., Chen, J., Zhang, J., Li, H., Yu, W., & Cai, X. (2026) · Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer · doi:10.1016/j.bbcan.2026.189644
Kuang, G., Qiu, Z., Li, L., Ji, H., & Liu, Y. (2026) · Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology · doi:10.3389/fcell.2026.1895424
“…adrenergic signalling can promote myeloid suppression, CD8 + T-cell dysfunction and stress-related angiogenic programmes, whereas a phase I propranolol–pembrolizumab study in metastatic melanoma demonstrated safety, tolerability and preliminary activity (Kokolus et al., 2018; Gandhi et al., 2021).”
Latif, R., & Nawaz, T. (2026) · Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology · doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105529
The neuro-immune-tumor axis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Zhang, L., Yamazaki, M., Tanuma, J., & Tomihara, K. (2026) · Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology · doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105537
Mieres, N. G., Oliveira, K., Marques, N. C. B., Azorza, N. M. C., Borba, H. H. L., Pontarolo, R., Sari, M. H. M., Bonini, J. S., Reolon, J. B., Lazo, R. E. L., et al. (2026) · Diseases · doi:10.3390/diseases14080291
Neural regulation of cancer: from microenvironmental hijacking to systemic circuit co-option
Gu, Z., Ma, H., Jiang, G.-Q., & Wei, J. (2026) · Cellular Oncology · doi:10.1007/s13402-026-01273-8 · Cited by 1
“…[81, 109 ]. β-AR β-AR block - ade (summarized in Table 2 ) reverses these effects by sup - pressing mesenchymal programs and enhancing immune infiltration, including CD8⁺ T cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, thereby improving responses to anticancer therapies [110–112].”
Zhen, H., Wang, C., Wang, X., Huang, H., Li, J., & Zhao, M. (2026) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2026.1852495
Ma, C., Ma, C., Xing, X., Sun, C., Guan, L., Schiöth, H. B., & Liu, W. (2026) · 癌症：英文版 · doi:10.34133/cancomm.0053
“Retrospective melanoma data suggest that pan β -blocker use is associated with improved survival in patients receiving immunotherapy, but these findings remain hypothesis-generating because of confounding and treatment-selection bias [ 329 , 330 ].”
Xu, J.-Y., & Yi, G. (2026) · Translational Oncology · doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2026.103016
“The clinical finding that β -blockers, including propranolol, can enhance the therapeutic efficacy in some tumor types also strongly supports the notion that the SNS promotes tumor progression [2,3].”
Neuroimmune interactions: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic targets
Hao, Y.-H., Shi, R.-J., Tang, Y., & Liang, X. (2026) · Molecular Biomedicine · doi:10.1186/s43556-026-00565-7
“…β-blockade with propranolol disrupts this cascade: in randomised trials, propranolol plus anti-PD-1 increases intratumoural CD8 ⁺ T-cell density, decreases PD-1 expression on cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and improves circulating metastatic biomarkers in early-stage breast cancer and melanoma [229].”
Cancer Neuroscience: From Local Neuro–Immune Microenvironments to Systemic Brain–Body Circuitry
Xie, M., Zhao, Y., Xing, X., Liu, Y., Zhao, J., Yao, M., Tang, J., & Zhao, J. (2026) · MedComm · doi:10.1002/mco2.71025
“Extensive epidemiological and real-world evidence also suggests that concurrent beta-blocker use may be associated with prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic NSCLC receiving ICIs [ 207, 209–211”
Ma, M., Hu, G., Hao, Y., Yu, H., Mou, R., & Jia, Y. (2026) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2026.109124
Tudoraşcu, D. R., Vere, C. C., Petrescu, M., Ciurea, A.-M., Pana, R. C., Dan, A. O., Târtea, E. A., Greșiță, A., Hădăreanu, D.-R., Obleagă, C. V., et al. (2026) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms27209090
Zhang, L. E., Aizawa, Y., Oishi, A., Kanai, S., Sumita, Y., Hirai, H., & Tomihara, K. (2026) · European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology · doi:10.1007/s00405-026-10685-z
Neuroimmune crosstalk in cancer: emerging immunotherapeutic opportunities
Dong, T., Ploeger, H., Eichwald, T., Brabenec, L., Rafei, M., Amit, M., Gargano, A., & Talbot, S. (2026) · Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer · doi:10.1136/jitc-2026-015675
“180 181 However, a meta-analysis of 11 studies involving 10 156 patients found no significant association between β -blocker use and improved overall or progression-free survival in solid tumors treated with ICIs.”
Prognostic role of selective beta-1 blockers in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Perelman, M. G., Brzezinski, R. Y., Gefen, S., Merin, R., Miodovnik, M., Raphael, A., Wolf, I., Hemed, A. R., Perelman, M., Slieman, M., et al. (2026) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11366-7
“While non-selective BB were associated with improved OS, a non-significant shorter OS was observed in patients treated with β 1 -selective beta blockers (β 1 B) and ICIs [14, 20].”
Metadata
- Authors
- Kokolus, K. M., Zhang, Y., Sivik, J. M., Schmeck, C., Zhu, J., Repasky, E. A., Drabick, J. J., & Schell, T. D.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (US)
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schell, Todd. D.
- ORCID
- Venue
- OncoImmunology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-12-21
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e1405205
- ISSN
- 2162-4011 (ISSN-L)
- 2162-402X
- PMC
- PMC5790362
- OpenAlex
- W2768592202
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 5
- FWCI
- 5.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- OncoImmunology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) (SAP #4100072562)
- HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH) (CA060395)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management
- Keywords
- beta-blockers, metastatic melanoma, immunotherapy, beta-adrenergic signaling, anti-PD-1 therapy, interleukin-2, beta2-adrenergic receptor, overall survival, combination therapy, murine melanoma model
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
