VISTA: Coming of age as a multi-lineage immune checkpoint

MA ElTanbouly, E Schaafsma… - Clinical & …, 2020 - academic.oup.com
MA ElTanbouly, E Schaafsma, RJ Noelle, JL Lines
Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 2020academic.oup.com
The immune response is governed by a highly complex set of interactions among cells and
mediators. T cells may be rendered dysfunctional by the presence of high levels of antigen
in the absence of co-stimulation while myeloid cells may be programmed towards an
immunosuppressive state that promotes cancer growth and metastasis while deterring tumor
immunity. In addition, inhibitory programs driven by immune checkpoint regulators dampen
anti-tumor immunity. The ideal cancer immunotherapy treatment will improve both cross …
Summary
The immune response is governed by a highly complex set of interactions among cells and mediators. T cells may be rendered dysfunctional by the presence of high levels of antigen in the absence of co-stimulation while myeloid cells may be programmed towards an immunosuppressive state that promotes cancer growth and metastasis while deterring tumor immunity. In addition, inhibitory programs driven by immune checkpoint regulators dampen anti-tumor immunity. The ideal cancer immunotherapy treatment will improve both cross-priming in the tumor microenvironment and relieve suppression by the inhibitory checkpoints. Recently, blockade of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has elicited impressive results, but not in all patients, so additional targets are under investigation. V-set immunoglobulin domain suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) is a novel immunoregulatory receptor that is broadly expressed on cells of the myeloid and lymphoid lineages, and is frequently implicated as a poor prognostic indicator in multiple cancers. Importantly, antibody targeting of VISTA uniquely engages both innate and adaptive immunity. This, combined with the expression of VISTA and its non-redundant activities compared to other immune checkpoint regulators, qualifies VISTA to be a promising target for improving cancer immunotherapy.
Oxford University Press