Immune checkpoint inhibitors (or ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of many cancer types in the last decade. Their mechanism of action is based on the specific inhibition of T-cell regulatory immune checkpoint molecules. However, these molecules are not only expressed on tumour cells, but they play a vital role in maintaining the homeostasis of various organs by regulating immune activation. This is evidenced by immune-related adverse events occurring after ICI therapy, such as ICI-induced myocarditis or heart failure. The Cardio-oncology and Cardioimmunology Research Group of the Momentum program by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, established in our Institute and led by Dr. Zoltán Varga, is investigating the mechanisms of the cardiovascular effects of ICI therapy. In this study, Dr. Varga and his PhD student, Dr. Tamás Gergely, along with international experts in the topic, reviewed the cardiovascular effects of immune checkpoints and their role in heart failure, as well as the potential use of immune checkpoints as therapeutic targets in heart failure treatment. The authors published their study in one of the leading cardiovascular scientific journals, in Nature Reviews Cardiology.
Full text is available on this link.