Utilizing the body's immune system to precisely target and eradicate cancerous cells, cancer immunotherapy has become a ground-breaking method of treating the disease. Pharmacologically targeting immunological checkpoints—regulatory pathways that cancer cells use to elude immune monitoring and destruction—is a key tactic in this treatment approach. With an emphasis on their methods of action, clinical uses, and the difficulties they faced throughout research and clinical deployment, this article examines current developments in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 are examples of immune checkpoint proteins that are essential for regulating immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. By boosting anti-tumor immunity, blocking these check points has shown significant therapeutic benefit, especially in malignancies like melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma. Notwithstanding the encouraging results, a number of issues still exist, such as resistance development, immune-related side effects, and restricted effectiveness in specific tumor types. Combination treatments, new biomarkers for patient classification, and methods to get around resistance mechanisms are all being investigated in ongoing research. The present state of clinical studies, possible pharmacological combinations to maximize therapeutic success, and the developing knowledge of immune checkpoint pharmacology are all reviewed in this study. Integrating immune checkpoint inhibitors with other therapeutic modalities, like targeted medicines and chemotherapy, is one intriguing way to get around present restrictions and enhance clinical results.
Keywords: Cancer immunotherapy, Immune checkpoints, PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4 inhibitors, Combination therapies
