Immune cells in mesothelioma microenvironment simplistic marker of response to nivolumab plus ipilimumab?

Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant disease of the pleura which recently can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). To optimize this treatment, a better understanding of the tumor micro environment is needed. We investigated subgroups of immune cells in subsequent tumor biopsies of patients treated with ICI.

Nose in malignant mesothelioma-Prediction of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

Introduction: Recent clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown that a subgroup of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) could benefit from these agents. However, there are no accurate biomarkers to predict who will respond. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of exhaled breath analysis using electronic technology (eNose) for discriminating between responders to ICI and non-responders.

Efficacy of nivolumab and ipilimumab in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma is related to a subtype of effector memory cytotoxic T cells: Translational evidence from two clinical trials.

Background: Combined immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4 was suggested to yield clinical benefit over chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), whereas aPD-1 monotherapy failed to provide benefit in phase-III trials. Success of ICI depends on the presence and activation of tumor-specific T cells. Therefore, we investigated whether T-cell characteristics are underlying clinical efficacy of ICI treatment in MPM.

Chemotherapy options versus "novel" therapies: how should we treat patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Today there are several options for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The therapeutic arsenal has expanded from only chemotherapy with or without surgery in selected cases to a variety of new compounds that target the malignant cell or its micro-environment. Immunotherapy has been the latest achievement and now single arm and randomized studies are being presented.

Ipilimumab and nivolumab in the treatment of recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma (INITIATE): results of a prospective, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Background: Single-drug checkpoint inhibition has shown efficacy in patients with recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma. Here, we assessed the safety and efficacy of the combination of nivolumab, an anti-programmed cell death 1 antibody, plus ipilimumab, an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 antibody, in patients with previously treated and relapsed malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Methods: INITIATE was a prospective single-centre, single arm, phase 2 trial.