Trial watch: Immunogenic cell death induction by anticancer chemotherapeutics

• Main Authors: Abhishek D. Garg, Sanket More, Nicole Rufo, Odeta Mece, Maria Livia Sassano, Patrizia Agostinis, Laurence Zitvogel, Guido Kroemer, Lorenzo Galluzzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-12-01
• Series: OncoImmunology
• Subjects: antigen-presenting cell; autophagy; cytotoxic t lymphocyte; endoplasmic reticulum stress; damage-associated molecular pattern; dendritic cell; immune checkpoint blocker; type i interferon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2017.1386829

The expression “immunogenic cell death” (ICD) refers to a functionally unique form of cell death that facilitates (instead of suppressing) a T cell-dependent immune response specific for dead cell-derived antigens. ICD critically relies on the activation of adaptive responses in dying cells, culminating with the exposure or secretion of immunostimulatory molecules commonly referred to as “damage-associated molecular patterns”. Only a few agents can elicit bona fide ICD, including some clinically established chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and oxaliplatin. In this Trial Watch, we discuss recent progress on the development of ICD-inducing chemotherapeutic regimens, focusing on studies that evaluate clinical efficacy in conjunction with immunological biomarkers.