Subasini Uthirapathy

CTLA-4 blockade in ovarian cancer immunotherapy: Mechanisms and clinical strategies

Although studies have demonstrated that ovarian cancer cells can express immune checkpoint proteins like CTLA-4 and that higher levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are linked to better patient survival, clinical trials utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors in ovarian cancer have not yielded encouraging results. Tumor heterogeneity and innate or acquired resistance associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME) may account for the inadequate response to ICIs. Understanding tumor immunobiology, identifying biomarkers for patient selection, and formulating suitable treatment regimens remain challenging, yet these are the aspirations for the future use of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. Induced T cells express CD80 and CD86, providing a positive costimulatory signal via CD28. CTLA-4 antagonizes CD28, diminishing T cell activation and modulating the immunological response. Conversely, the negative regulation of CTLA-4 using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), particularly ipilimumab, may stimulate T-cell responses against ovarian cancer antigens. We elucidate the mechanisms responsible for immunological suppression: T cell exhaustion and senescence in ovarian cancer. We also provide a synopsis of using CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies in ovarian cancer alone or conjunction with other modalities (eg, chemotherapy). We finally delineate the challenges associated with responding to immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.