BMC Ophthalmology (Jul 2024)

Cytokines in PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor adverse events and implications for the treatment of uveitis

  • Aaron C. Brown,
  • José Quiroz,
  • Devayu A. Parikh,
  • Yafeng Li,
  • Lukas Ritzer,
  • Richard Rosen,
  • Avnish Deobhakta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-024-03575-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as Programmed cell Death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors have improved cancer treatment by enhancing the immune system’s ability to target malignant cells. Their use is associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including uveitis. The profile of pro-inflammatory cytokines underlying Anti-PD-1-induced uveitis shares significant overlap with that of non-infectious uveitis. Current corticosteroid treatments for uveitis while effective are fraught with vision threatening side effects. The cytokine profile in ICI-related uveitis has a large overlap with that of noninfectious uveitis, this overlap strongly supports the potential for therapy that activates the PD-1 axis in the eye to treat uveitis. Indeed, ICI related uveitis often resolves with cessation of the ICI, restoring the endogenous PD-1 axis. The potential benefit of targeting many pro-inflammatory cytokines via local PD-1 axis activation is mitigating ocular inflammation while minimizing adverse effects.

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