Immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of melanoma: From basic science to clinical application

Immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma and many other cancers. Blockade of inhibitory receptors, CTLA-4 and PD-1, enhances T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses, leading to improved survival and durable responses in patients. Based on their mechanism of action, immune checkpoint inhibitors can also induce immune-related adverse events that require careful monitoring and prompt treatment. Despite these successes, only a fraction of patients benefit from immune checkpoint blockade. Basic science approaches and clinical experience are defining predictive biomarkers to identify patients most likely to respond to therapy as well as mechanisms of resistance that limit responses in certain tumors or shorten the duration of response. New approaches and combination therapies are under development to broaden the clinical impact of immune checkpoint blockade by overcoming resistance to therapy and limiting adverse events.