Given the success of the first edition of
Decoding Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Endocrinopathies and the continuing advances in the field, we are pleased to announce the Volume II.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors predominantly monoclonal antibody inhibitors of CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1, have dramatically changed the treatment landscape for people with cancer. Efficacy for the drugs is being demonstrated in an expanding number of malignancies, both as single agents and in combination with other immune-targeted or systemic therapies. A major limitation of checkpoint inhibitors is toxicity in the form of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), many of which affect endocrine organs. Endocrine manifestations includes but are not limited to the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas, and results in acute inflammation of these organs and hormonal secretory disturbances. Sequelae include hypophysitis with single or multi-hormone deficiency, thyrotoxicosis with subsequent euthyroidism or hypothyroidism, adrenalitis with primary hypoadrenalism and checkpoint inhibitor-associated autoimmune diabetes mellitus.
This research topic aims to gain insight from experts across fields including immunology, endocrinology, oncology and microbiology, in order to synthesise a multi-disciplinary review, relevant to patient care and informing future research and clinical practice.
1. The epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of specific irAEs in patients with cancer treated with checkpoint inhibitors;
2. Contributing and predisposing factors to checkpoint inhibitor-induced irAEs, including but not limited to pre-existing autoimmunity, genetic polymorphisms, and microbiome characteristics;
3. Immunological phenotypes of distinct checkpoint inhibitor-induced irAEs;
4. Shared or distinct clinical and pathological features with known autoimmune or endocrine diseases;
5. Relationship between irAE development with additional toxicity and patient outcomes.
Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section