Amyloid-beta (Aβ) is a collection of peptide fragments derived from cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Some of these fragments are toxic to neurons and aggregate forming oligomers and fibrils. These clusters of Aβ form plaques that accumulate in the brains of people with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (Figure 1). Preventing the accumulation of … Read more
T cells of the adaptive immune system are not the only cytotoxic cells in the immune system. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are a cytotoxic white blood cell (lymphocyte) of the innate immune system. Clinical trials with NK cells use these as cell-based biologic therapies: The NK cells are the therapy. New research suggests that … Read more
A main goal of current research and clinical trials is to expand the number of patients that benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that combination therapies are the future for these immunotherapies in treating cancer. There are many clinical trials that combine an immunotherapy with conventional chemotherapy (drugs that kill … Read more
Some cancer immunotherapy drugs turn off a signaling pathway; others turn on a signaling pathway (1). FDA-approved immunotherapy drugs that target the PD-L1/PD-1 or CTLA-4/B-7 immune checkpoints function as antagonists to block immune signaling pathways. Investigational immunotherapy drugs that target GITRL/GITR function as agonists to activate an immune signaling pathway. Investigational drugs that target OX40L/OX40 … Read more
There are now many types of anti-cancer drugs that target the immune system, including those that override the immune system’s natural regulatory processes. These processes function as the brakes on the immune system. The FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitors are Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Opdivo (nivolumab), Tecentriq (atezolizumab), and Yervoy (ipilimumab). Several investigational drugs [MK-4166, GWN323, MS-986156, INCAGN01876, … Read more