Combination of cytokine-directed and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 therapy – a new attractive option in melanoma treatment?

The use of monoclonal antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) has markedly transformed the management of melanoma. However, only a minority of patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy show a response to therapy and some of them develop immune-related adverse events that can be managed with steroids or anticytokine therapy. A recent study published in Nature Communications has reported that treatment with anti-PD-1 in a tumor necrosis factor-deficient environment may lead to higher response rates to immunotherapy by reducing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes death, accumulating dendritic cells within cancer, and downregulating T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain-containing-3 expression. This research provides the first proof-of-concept of combining immunotherapy and antitumour necrosis factor-α in the melanoma treatment. Correspondence to Vincas Urbonas, MD, PhD, National Cancer Institute, Santariskiu 1, LT 08660, Vilnius, Lithuania Tel: +370 6456 5101; fax: +370 5272 0164; e-mail: vincas.urbonas@nvi.lt Received February 28, 2018 Accepted May 10, 2018 Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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