Checkpoint Proteins in Pediatric Brain and Extracranial Solid Tumors: Opportunities for Immunotherapy.

ABSTRACT: Pediatric brain and extracranial solid tumors are a diverse group of malignancies that represent almost half of all pediatric cancers. Standard therapy includes various combinations of surgery, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and radiation, which can be very harmful to a developing child, and survivors carry a substantial burden of long-term morbidities. Although these therapies have improved survival rates for children with solid tumors, outcomes still remain extremely poor for subsets of patients. Recently, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules that negatively regulate immune cell function have been described. When found on malignant cells or in the tumor microenvironment, they contribute to immune evasion and tumor escape. Agents designed to inhibit these proteins have demonstrated significant

SUBMITTER: Ring EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5241220 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature