Person:

Murakami, Naoka

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors are emerging as revolutionary drugs for certain malignancies. However, blocking the co-inhibitory signals may lead to immune-related adverse events, mainly in the spectrum of autoimmune diseases including colitis, endocrinopathies and nephritis. Here, we report a case of a 75-year-old man with metastatic malignant melanoma treated with a combination of nivolumab (anti-PD1-antibody) and ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4 antibody) who developed systemic rash along with severe acute tubulointerstitial nephritis after two doses of combination therapy. Kidney biopsy and peripheral blood immune profile revealed highly proliferative and cytotoxic T cell features. Herein, we discuss the pathophysiology and management of immune checkpoint blockade-related adverse events.

Proteasome inhibitors benefit patients with multiple myeloma and B cell-dependent autoimmune disorders but exert toxicity from inhibition of proteasomes in other cells. Toxicity should be minimized by reversible inhibition of the immunoproteasome β5i subunit while sparing the constitutive β5c subunit. Here we report β5i-selective inhibition by asparagine-ethylenediamine (AsnEDA)-based compounds and present the high-resolution cryo-EM structural analysis of the human immunoproteasome. Despite inhibiting noncompetitively, an AsnEDA inhibitor binds the active site. Hydrophobic interactions are accompanied by hydrogen bonding with β5i and β6 subunits. The inhibitors are far more cytotoxic for myeloma and lymphoma cell lines than for hepatocarcinoma or non-activated lymphocytes. They block human B-cell proliferation and promote apoptotic cell death selectively in antibody-secreting B cells, and to a lesser extent in activated human T cells. Reversible, β5i-selective inhibitors may be useful for treatment of diseases involving activated or neoplastic B cells or activated T cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are becoming a common and important cancer therapy. ICIs are associated with a unique category of side effects, termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We herein report the case of a 72-year-old man with postoperative recurrence of lung squamous cell carcinoma who was treated with nivolumab and who developed proteinuria and a worsening kidney function. A kidney biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy. After drug withdrawal, the proteinuria improved and the deterioration of the patient's renal function was halted. Although renal irAEs are considered to be rare and glomerulonephritis is not typical presentation, physicians need to pay more attention to renal irAEs and glomerular injury.