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Jack Huang: Strategies of Combination Immunotherapies in Cancer

Jack (Jie) Huang/Linkedin

Dec 24, 2024, 11:28

Jack Huang: Strategies of Combination Immunotherapies in Cancer

Jack Huang, Chief Scientist and Founder/CEO of CSTEAM biotechnology, shared a post on LinkedIn on the Clinical Research Professionals group:

“Strategies of Combination Immunotherapies in Cancer.

Combination immunotherapies are revolutionizing cancer treatment by leveraging multiple immunomodulatory strategies to improve treatment efficacy and overcome drug resistance.

These approaches integrate various immunotherapies or combine them with traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation to maximize anti-tumor responses.

1. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and other modalities

The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4) with other therapies has shown promising results. For example, combining checkpoint inhibitors with tumor vaccines can enhance antigen presentation and T cell activation, thereby improving the overall immune response.

In addition, pairing checkpoint inhibitors with cytokines such as IL-2 or IL-15 can promote immune cell proliferation and persistence, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect.

2. CAR-T and CAR-NK cells with checkpoint inhibition

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered T cells and NK cells are often used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors to overcome immunosuppressive signals in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This strategy enhances the durability and efficacy of CAR-based therapies, particularly in solid tumors where resistance mechanisms are prevalent.

3. Oncolytic viruses and immunotherapy

Oncolytic viruses are designed to selectively infect and destroy tumor cells while stimulating immune responses. When combined with checkpoint inhibitors or CAR-T cells, oncolytic viruses can further enhance T cell infiltration and activity within the TME.

4. Immunotherapy and conventional treatments

Combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy can modulate the TME to make it more immunogenic. For example, chemotherapy can reduce suppressive immune cells, while radiotherapy can increase antigen release, creating synergistic effects with immunotherapy.

Combination therapy strategies address the complexity of tumor resistance and immunosuppression, providing a multifaceted approach to cancer treatment. Ongoing research and clinical trials continue to refine these combination therapies, aiming to improve patient outcomes and expand the impact of immunotherapy in oncology.

References

1. Timothy Yap et al., Cancer Discovery 2021 (doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-1209)

2. Nicole Kirchhammer et al., Science Translational Medicine 2022 (DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo3605).”