pembrolizumab + personalized autologous CD8+ T cell therapy

This combination immunotherapy regimen consists of the programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab and a personalized autologous CD8+ T cell therapy. Developed and studied at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, this approach combines checkpoint inhibition with adoptive cell transfer. The personalized CD8+ T cells are derived from the patient's own tumor and blood, expanded ex vivo to target specific tumor antigens, and then re-infused. Pembrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is administered to prevent the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway from suppressing the activity of these infused T cells and the endogenous immune response. This synergistic strategy is primarily investigated for advanced gastrointestinal malignancies, including pancreatic, colorectal, and gastric cancers, to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Brand names

Keytruda

Other names

CD8+ T cell therapy plus pembrolizumabpersonalized autologous CD8+ T cell therapy plus anti-PD1 antibody