Success of immune checkpoint blockade therapies - mechanisms and implications for hepatology.

The success of immune modulation by checkpoint blockade approaches is currently transforming oncology, with high and long-lasting tumor responses in patients with advanced disease across many cancer entities. Rooted in the reinvigoration of adaptive antitumor immune responses through disinhibition of negative feedback pathways, these approaches are particularly effective in patients with significant preexisting T cell responses in tumors with high neoantigen load. While promising data is starting to emerge from clinical trials in liver cancer patients, the underlying immunobiology remains poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the immunological mechanisms underlying the success of current checkpoint blockade therapies and the implications for hepatology including management of immune-related hepatitis. Checkpoint blockade therapy provides novel therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat liver cancers but also novel clinical challenges for hepatologists facing immune-related adverse events.