Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Lymphomas

Programmed death receptors and ligands (PD-1 and PD-L1) are the best studied immune checkpoints (ICP) and are considered to be key factors of immune response control. The ability of tumor cells to affect the ICP receptors is one of the principal mechanisms of suppressing antitumor immunity. The development of ICP inhibitors creates an opportunity to control and activate immune response and opens new perspectives for immunotherapy of cancers, including lymphomas. The paper reviews the biological background for the use of ICP inhibitors in the treatment of classical Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and summarizes the clinical experience of their use. The new approaches for the creation of combination regimens with ICP are also highlighted.