• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.93.1-93.11
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• 2018

The introduction of checkpoint inhibitors revolutionized immuno-oncology. The efficacy of traditional immunotherapeutics, like vaccines and immunostimulants was very limited due to persistent immune-escape strategies of cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors target these escape mechanisms and re-direct the immune system to anti-tumor toxicity. Phenomenal results have been reported in entities like melanoma, where no other therapy was able to demonstrate survival benefit, before the introduction of immunotherapeutics. The first experience in ovarian cancer (OC) was reported for nivolumab, a fully human anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) antibody, in 2015. While the data are extraordinary for a mono-immunotherapeutic agent and very promising, they do not match up to the revolutionary results in entities like melanoma. The key to exceptional treatment response in OC, could be the identification of the most immunogenic patients. We hypothyse that BRCA mutation could be a predictor of improved response in OC. The underlying DNA-repair-deficiancy should result in increased immunogenicity because of higher mutational load and more neoantigen presentation. This hypothesis was not tested to date and should be subject to future trials. The present article gives an overview of the immunologic background of checkpoint inhibition (CI). It presents current data on nivolumab and other checkpoint-inhibitors in solid tumors and OC specifically and depicts important topics in the management of this novel substance group, such as side effect control, diagnostic PD-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression assessment and management of pseudoprogression.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.27 no.4 s.91
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• pp.293-298
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• 1999

An one percent sodium carbonate extract prepared from sclerotia of Poria cocos activated the proliferation of the T lymphocytes as measured by mixed lymphocyte responses(MLR). The active fraction, PCSC22, was isolated from an one percent sodium carbonate extract by a combination of fractionation procedures, including ethanol precipitation and chromatographies on column of DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G50. Carbohydrate and peptide contained in PCSC22 were 78 : 22% in ratio. On employing gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography, PCSC22 exhitited a homogeneous peak with an average molecular weight of 8 kDa. The sugar moiety of PCSC22 was composed with mannose (92%), galactose (6.2%) and arabinose (1.3%), which might be indicated as heteromannan. Fifteen amino acids were found in peptide moiety of the polysaccharide and aspartic acid, serine, and valine were major components. PCSC22 activated the primary proliferation of T lymphocytes measured by mixed lymphocyte responses, the antibody production of the B lymphocytes and the secretion of nitric oxide from macrophage cell line, RAW264.7.