98%
921
2 minutes
20
Cancer immunotherapy aims to employ the immune system to target cancer cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 axis is a critical immune checkpoint that tumors exploit to evade immune surveillance. In this study, we characterized three small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors, Evixapodlin, MAX-10181, and INCB086550, currently undergoing clinical trials for cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and melanoma. Using the homogeneous time resolved fluorescence assay, we confirmed that each compound potently disrupts human PD-1/PD-L1 binding with IC values in the nanomolar range. PD-L1 oligomerization upon inhibitor binding was demonstrated through NMR analysis and confirmed by X-ray crystallography, which finally elucidated the binding interactions that stabilize these inhibitors at the PD-L1 interface. Cellular assays revealed dose-dependent T-cell activation, demonstrating the immunomodulatory potential of each compound and its cytotoxicity profiles. These findings underscore the promise of small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors as viable alternatives to antibody-based therapies in cancer immunotherapy.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12257390 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5c00245 | DOI Listing |
Cell Rep Med
September 2025
Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address:
The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors is limited by multiple factors, including poor T cell infiltration and function within tumors, partly due to a dense extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we investigate modulating the ECM by targeting integrin α5β1, a major fibronectin-binding and organizing integrin, to improve immunotherapy outcomes. Use of a function-blocking murinized α5β1 antibody reduces fibronectin fibril formation, enhances CD8 T cell transendothelial migration, increases vascular permeability, and decreases vessel-associated collagen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In Armenia, a lower-middle-income country, cancer causes 21% of all deaths, with over half of cases diagnosed at advanced stages. Without universal health insurance, patients rely on out-of-pocket payments or black-market channels for costly immunotherapies, underscoring the need for real-world data to inform equitable policy reforms.
Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients who received at least one dose of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) between January 2017 and December 2023 across six Armenian oncology centers.
J Clin Invest
September 2025
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is notoriously resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, presenting a major therapeutic challenge. Epigenetic modifications play a critical role in PC progression, yet their contribution to chemoimmunotherapy resistance remains poorly understood. Here, we identified the transcription factor ZEB1 as a critical driver of chemoimmunotherapy resistance in PC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunotherapy
September 2025
Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Currently, the first-line treatment of non-metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is complete resection. In case of unresectable or metastatic MCC, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy with avelumab (or in the US also pembrolizumab or retifanlimab) is indicated. We report on a patient with a primary, non-metastatic MCC on the left eyelid and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicine (Baltimore)
September 2025
Department of Radiotherapy, Shaoxing Second Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.
Background: This study addresses the lack of a comprehensive meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of first-line anti-blocking the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapies in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, using reconstructed individual patient data.
Methods: Through systematic review, we extracted relevant studies from PubMed and EMBASE databases, spanning January 1, 2010 to November 28, 2024. Only phase III randomized controlled trials assessing anti-PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy (CT) versus anti-PD-L1 inhibitors plus CT were selected.