Check point inhibitors as therapies for infectious diseases

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Current Opinion in Immunology, Volume 48
Author(s): Maureen A Cox, Robert Nechanitzky, Tak W Mak
The recent successes of immune check point targeting therapies in treating cancer patients has driven a resurgence of interest in targeting these pathways in chronically infected patients. While still in early stages, basic and clinical data suggest that blockade of CTLA-4 and PD-1 can be beneficial in the treatment of chronic HIV, HBV, and HCV infection, as well as other chronic maladies. Furthermore, novel inhibitory receptors such as Tim-3, LAG-3, and TIGIT are the potential next wave of check points that can be manipulated for the treatment of chronic infection. Blockade of these pathways influences more than simply T cell responses, and may provide new therapeutic options for chronically infected patients.



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