Forbes April 17, 2024
This article is part of an ongoing series on checkpoint inhibitors, a novel cancer immunotherapy. Here, we explore the history behind this revolutionary discovery. Future installments will delve deeper into the treatment’s mechanism and the latest research expanding the field.
Twenty years ago, people battling aggressive cancers faced limited treatment options. Then, a beacon of hope emerged with the advent of novel immunotherapies—among them a class of anti-cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors, which the FDA approved for the first time in 2011 for melanoma treatment.
This advance takes advantage of how our bodies recognize danger and fight cancer. The immune system has naturally integrated off switches called immune checkpoints to disrupt overactive white blood cells. The checkpoints prevent toxic shock...
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