Pembrolizumab

Описание: Pembrolizumab is a newer immunotherapy drug used for the treatment of different cancers, most notably lung cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, and cancer of the endocrine glands. By blocking a specific immune receptor, Pembrolizumab causes an increased activity of the immune system, allowing the body to better destroy cancer cells. Due to an increase in immune function, symptoms similar to an autoimmune disease may arise.

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Transcript:
The excitement these days is about immunotherapy, in particular, a drug called Pembrolizumab, which is a PD1 inhibitor. This drug blocks the checkpoint's immune signal. And so T cells have something called a PD1 receptor when bind to its proper ligand, PDL1 can cause a down regulation of the immune system. And by down regulating the immune system, the immune system is less able to find tumors and cause an anti tumor effect.

So when you block the checkpoint immune receptor, it can cause a ramping up of the immune system. And by doing that it can cause symptoms that look like auto immune disease. And so the four main organs that this drug Pembrolizumab can target include the skin, the colon, the lung and the endocrine glands. So it can cause something called a colitis. And the Itis means inflammation of the organ that it is proceeded by.

Colitis is characterized by diarrhea or bloody diarrhea. Pneumonitis, which is inflammation of the lung, can cause shortness of breath. Dermatitis, which is inflammation of the skin, can cause a rash. And then inflammation of the endocrine glands such as the thyroid gland can cause hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

And so if any of these happen, you should have a conversation with your oncologist about possibly holding the drugs depending on how severe the side effects are and possibly giving steroids in the form of methyl prednisolone or prednisone to help dampen the immune system and improve the symptoms that you're having.