Immune checkpoint inhibitors associated cardiovascular immune-related adverse events.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are specialized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target immune checkpoints and their ligands, counteracting cancer cell-induced T-cell suppression. Approved ICIs like cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1), its ligand PD-L1, and lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) have improved cancer patient outcomes by enhancing anti-tumor responses. However, some patients are unresponsive, and others experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs), affecting organs like the lung, liver, intestine, skin and now the cardiovascular system. These cardiac irAEs include conditions like myocarditis, atherosclerosis, pericarditis, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy. Ongoing clinical trials investigate promising alternative co-inhibitory receptor targets, including T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (Tim-3) and T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT). This review delves into the mechanisms of approved ICIs (CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, and LAG-3) and upcoming options like Tim-3 and TIGIT. It explores the use of ICIs in cancer treatment, supported by both preclinical and clinical data. Additionally, it examines the mechanisms behind cardiac toxic irAEs, focusing on ICI-associated myocarditis and atherosclerosis. These insights are vital as ICIs continue to revolutionize cancer therapy, offering hope to patients, while also necessitating careful monitoring and management of potential side effects, including emerging cardiac complications.

Jo W ，Won T ，Daoud A ，Čiháková D ... -  《Frontiers in Immunology》

The determinants of very severe immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A prospective study of the French REISAMIC registry.

Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) remain generally unpredictable, and severe irAEs remain challenging to detect early and manage. Very severe (grade IV-V) irAEs have not been extensively characterised in prospective studies, and their predictive factors remain unknown. The objective of the study was to describe and identify predictive factors of very severe (grade IV-V) irAEs. The French Registre des Effets Indésirables Sévères des Anticorps Monoclonaux Immunomodulateurs en Cancérologie (REISAMIC) registry has prospectively collected all clinically significant irAEs occurring in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors at Gustave Roussy Institute since 2014. This was a single-centre prospective cohort study at the Gustave Roussy Institute cancer centre (Villejuif, France). The participants were all adult patients with a solid or haematological cancer treated with an anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or an anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and who presented a clinically significant irAE. The main outcomes included the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with very severe irAEs, including tumour type, affected organs, time to irAE occurrence, blood cell count and serum biochemistry parameters. Of the 1187 patients prospectively followed in REISAMIC between December 2014 and January 2020, 380 (32.0%) had at least one irAE, and 34 (2.86%) presented with very severe irAEs (grades IV-V). Among the 380 patients with an irAE, the distribution of very severe irAEs (grades IV-V) was 8.95% and death (grade V) was 3.95%. Among the 34 patients with very severe irAEs, 33 were treated with monotherapy of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors, and one patient was treated with a combination of PD-1 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibitors. The median time to occurrence was shorter for very severe irAEs (median [interquartile range]: 41 days [0-634] for grades IV-V; versus 91 days [0-1123] for grades I-III; p = 0.01680). On initiation of immunotherapy, the predictive factors for very severe irAEs were performance status ≥2, elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and treatment for lung cancer. Very severe (grade IV-V) immunological toxicities occurred earlier than mild severe toxicities. On initiation of immunotherapy, patients with poor performance status, elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and lung cancer are identified at risk of developing these very severe toxicities. These results could help to develop risk scores to identify patients at risk of developing severe toxicities.

Ruste V ，Goldschmidt V ，Laparra A ，Messayke S ，Danlos FX ，Romano-Martin P ，Champiat S ，Voisin AL ，Baldini C ，Massard C ，Laghouati S ，Marabelle A ，Lambotte O ，Michot JM ... -  《-》

Characterization of liver injury induced by cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immunotherapy for metastatic cancer can be complicated by the onset of hepatic immune-related adverse events (IRAEs). This study compared hepatic IRAEs associated with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Among 536 patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 immunotherapies, 19 (3.5%) were referred to the liver unit for grade ≥3 hepatitis. Of these patients, nine had received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and seven had received anti-CTLA-4 mAbs, in monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-1. Liver investigations were undertaken in these 16 patients, including viral assays, autoimmune tests and liver biopsy, histological review, and immunostaining of liver specimens. In the 16 patients included in this study, median age was 63 (range 33-84) years, and nine (56%) were female. Time between therapy initiation and hepatitis was five (range, 1-49) weeks and median number of immunotherapy injections was two (range, 1-36). No patients developed hepatic failure. Histology related to anti-CTLA-4 mAbs demonstrated granulomatous hepatitis including fibrin ring granulomas and central vein endotheliitis. Histology related to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAbs was characterised by lobular hepatitis. The management of hepatic IRAEs was tailored according to the severity of both the biology and histology of liver injury: six patients improved spontaneously; seven received oral corticosteroids at 0.5-1 mg/kg/day; two were maintained on 0.2 mg/kg/day corticosteroids; and one patient required pulses and 2.5 mg/kg/day of corticosteroids, and the addition of a second immunosuppressive drug. In three patients, immunotherapy was reintroduced without recurrence of liver dysfunction. Acute hepatitis resulting from immunotherapy for metastatic cancer is rare (3.5%) and, in most cases, not severe. Histological assessment can distinguish between anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 mAb toxicity. The severity of liver injury is helpful for tailoring patient management, which does not require systematic corticosteroid administration. Immunotherapy for metastatic cancer can be complicated by immune-related adverse events in the liver. In patients receiving immunotherapy for metastatic cancer who develop immune-mediated hepatitis, liver biopsy is helpful for the diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of liver injury. This study demonstrates the need for patient-oriented management, which could eventually avoid unnecessary systemic corticosteroid treatment.

De Martin E ，Michot JM ，Papouin B ，Champiat S ，Mateus C ，Lambotte O ，Roche B ，Antonini TM ，Coilly A ，Laghouati S ，Robert C ，Marabelle A ，Guettier C ，Samuel D ... -  《-》

New insight in endocrine-related adverse events associated to immune checkpoint blockade.

Anticancer immunotherapy, in the form of immune checkpoint inhibition, is a paradigm shift that has transformed the care of patients with different types of solid and hematologic cancers. The most notable improvements have been seen in patients with melanoma, non-small-cell lung, bladder, renal, cervical, urotherial, and colorectal cancers, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting immune checkpoints (i.e., anti-CTLA: ipilimumab; anti-PD-1: nivolumab, pembrolizumab; anti-PD-L1: durvalumab, atezolizumab, avelumab) unleash the immune system against tumor cells targeting mainly T cells. Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is associated with a variety of diverse and distinct immune-related adverse events (irAEs), reflecting the mechanistic underpinning of each target (i.e., CTLA-4, and PD-1/PD-L1 network). The most frequent endocrine irAEs associated with anti-PD-1 mAb treatment are thyroid dysfunctions, whereas hypophysitis is mostly linked to anti-CTLA-4 treatment. Type 1 diabetes mellitus and adrenalitis are rare irAEs. Combination therapy (anti-CTLA-4 plus anti-PD-1/PD-L1) can be associated with an increased risk and prevalence of endocrine irAEs. In this paper we discuss the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of irAEs with specific emphasis on endocrine irAEs associated with ICIs. With a growing number of patients treated with ICIs, a tight collaboration among oncologists, endocrinologists and immunologists appears necessary when the circumstances are more challenging and for better management of severe endocrine irAEs. Further investigations are urgently needed to better understand the mechanisms by which different ICIs can induce a variety of endocrine irAEs.

Elia G ，Ferrari SM ，Galdiero MR ，Ragusa F ，Paparo SR ，Ruffilli I ，Varricchi G ，Fallahi P ，Antonelli A ... -  《-》

Immune checkpoint inhibitors: breakthroughs in cancer treatment.

Over the past two decades, immunotherapies have increasingly been considered as first-line treatments for most cancers. One such treatment is immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which has demonstrated promising results against various solid tumors in clinical trials. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently available as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). These ICIs target specific immune checkpoints, including cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Clinical trial results strongly support the feasibility of this immunotherapeutic approach. However, a substantial proportion of patients with cancer develop resistance or tolerance to treatment, owing to tumor immune evasion mechanisms that counteract the host immune response. Consequently, substantial research focus has been aimed at identifying additional ICIs or synergistic inhibitory receptors to enhance the effectiveness of anti-PD-1, anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1), and anti-CTLA-4 treatments. Recently, several immune checkpoint molecular targets have been identified, such as T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), mucin domain containing-3 (TIM-3), lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), and signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα). Functional mAbs targeting these molecules are under development. CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1, and other recently discovered immune checkpoint proteins with distinct structures are at the forefront of research. This review discusses these structures, as well as clinical progress in mAbs targeting these immune checkpoint molecules and their potential applications.

Kong X ，Zhang J ，Chen S ，Wang X ，Xi Q ，Shen H ，Zhang R ... -  《Cancer Biology & Medicine》