Ipilimumab in patients with melanoma and autoimmune disease. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4), an immune-checkpoint receptor and regulator of T-cell activation, has become an important therapeutic target for immunotherapy in cancer and autoimmune diseases. To date, clinical trials involving cancer immunotherapies, such checkpoint blocking antibodies directed at CTLA-4 (ipilimumab), have excluded patients with underlying autoimmune disease given concern for potential triggering of autoimmune exacerbations. We present the first known cases to our knowledge of two patients with active autoimmune diseases who received ipilimumab. In this limited clinical experience, no serious exacerbations of underlying autoimmunity have yet been observed, and one patient benefited from ipilimumab. These cases advocate for further investigation of the safety of cancer immunotherapies in cancer patients with underlying autoimmune conditions in carefully designed clinical trials with cautious monitoring.

publication date

  • October 14, 2014

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC4207313

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84977136814

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1186/s40425-014-0035-z

PubMed ID

  • 25349698

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 2

issue

  • 1