Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy utilizes the immune system to identify and target cancer cells. Over the past decades, researchers have advanced these treatments by (1) uncovering how tumors evade the immune system and (2) developing techniques to trigger an anti-tumor immune response and block tumor immune escape. These immunotherapies can be administered alone or in combination with other treatments, leading to an improved survival rate and quality of life for cancer patients. Indeed, several immunotherapies have received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of various cancers. For instance, blocking PD-1/PD-L1 has increased the five-year survival rate for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, the effectiveness of current immunotherapies varies significantly among patients, and they can cause severe side effects. Although there is still a need for improvement, cancer immunotherapy is regarded as a promising therapeutic modality. This book focuses on the preclinical development and evolving clinical landscape of cancer immunotherapy, encouraging synthetic organic/medicinal chemists, immunologists, and biologists to develop new, safe, and affordable treatments.