Summary
This narrative review synthesises clinical and mechanistic evidence for combination therapies incorporating PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors alongside chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted agents, other immune checkpoint modulators, and immunomodulatory strategies. The authors argue that whilst 13 anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies have been approved clinically, monotherapy response rates remain suboptimal because the PD-1/PD-L1 axis alone does not fully explain treatment resistance. The review emphasises that individualised combination selection, including bifunctional antibodies and multi-modal immunomodulation, may overcome heterogeneous resistance mechanisms and improve clinical outcomes.
UK applicability
This review concerns oncological immunotherapy and is not applicable to Vitagri's domain of farming systems, soil health, and nutrition-related human health outcomes. The catalogue focus on food systems, soil science, and agricultural nutrition is distinct from cancer immunology.
Key measures
Antitumor efficacy, clinical response rates, immunosuppressive pathway modulation, tumour microenvironment characteristics
Outcomes reported
The study reviewed synergistic antitumor efficacies and mechanisms of α-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other immunomodulatory approaches. It assessed clinical response rates and efficacy of combination strategies across multiple cancer types.
Topic tags
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