nivolumab + sitagliptin

Nivolumab + sitagliptin is an investigational combination therapy being evaluated for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma. Nivolumab is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that enhances T-cell anti-tumor activity. Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor traditionally used for diabetes. In the context of oncology, sitagliptin is hypothesized to enhance the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors by preventing the enzymatic degradation of the chemokine CXCL10 by DPP-4. This preservation of CXCL10 levels promotes the recruitment of CXCR3+ effector T cells into the tumor microenvironment, potentially overcoming resistance to immunotherapy. This combination is being primarily investigated by researchers at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital.