Immunotherapy Flashcards
What does calcineurin do?
Dephosphorylates and hence activates a T-cell transcription factor
Part of immune resposne
What does FKBP12-FK506 do?
Inhibits calcineurin
What is passive immunity?
Protection from a disease provided by antibodies created outside of the body
I.e. artificial or placental transfer
What is active immunity?
Immunity to a pathogen that occurs following exposure to said pathogen
I.e. vaccination or natural
What is Human Normal Immunoglobulin (HGIN) used for?
Post-exposure prophylaxis to: Hep A Measles Polio Rubella
What are some infections which require specific immunoglobulins for post-exposure prophylaxis?
Hep B
Rabies
Tetanus
Varicella-Zoster
What is IVIg?
IV immunoglobulin
Polyclonal IgG pooled from thousands of donors
Key biologic for replacement therapy in primary and secondary immunodeficiency disorders
What are some disorders which can benefit from IVIg?
Primary immunodeficiency Wiskott Aldrich syndrome Kawasaki disease Multiple myeloma Guillain-Barre syndrome
What is direct immunotherapy?
Antibodies or antibody related fragments that detect an antigen on the tumour cell and destroy the target either by recruiting immune cells or by delivering a toxin or radioisotope to it
What is indirect immunotherapy?
The immune system is activated rendering it able to seek and destroy tumour cells
What are some examples of direct immunotherapy?
Monoclonal antibodies
Chimeric antigen receptors
(CARs)
Bi-specific antibodies
What are some examples of indirect immunotherapy?
Tumour vaccines Dendritic cell vaccines Adoptive cell transfer Cytokine therapies Checkpoint inhibitor therapies Stimulatory antibodies
How is cytokine therapy used?
Immunomodulatory cytokines to activate anti-tumour immunity
Pegasys is effective anti-viral for melanoma
What is rituximab?
Monoclonal antibody which targets CD20 surface protein
What conditions are treated with rituximab?
First line treatment for non-hodgkins lymphoma
RA
SLE
What is infliximab?
Chimeric antibody
Blocks function of TNF-alpha
What is trastuzumab (herceptin)?
The antibody binds HER2 on cancer cells and marks them out for destruction by the immune system
Approved for HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer
How does pertuzumab work?
Anti-HER2 antibody
Disrupts dimer formation
How do checkpoint inhibitor antibodies work?
Unlock gateway to adaptive immune system
Powerful anti-tumour responses
How do anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies work?
Blockade of PD-1 or ligand to depress TCR signalling thereby permitting T cell activation
PD-1 inhibitor receptor is expressed by T cells in tumours
Give some examples of anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies and their uses.
Pembrolizumab
Nivolumab
Anti-tumour
Greater overall survival than chemo
What is the main benefit of CAR use?
A T cell modified with a CAR is endowed with a new antigen specificity, and binding its antigen supports T-cell activation and killing of the target cell
