Decoding Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Immune-Related Adverse Events - Volume III

Given the success of the first editions of the Research Topics Decoding Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Endocrinopathies and Decoding Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Immune-Related Adverse Events, volume II, we are pleased to announce the third volume of the Research Topic “Decoding Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Immune-Related Adverse Events”.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are predominantly monoclonal antibody inhibitors of CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 and have dramatically improved therapeutics for people with cancer. Their efficacy has been demonstrated in an expanding number of malignancies, both as single agents or 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), which can affect every system. Endocrine manifestations 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. Gastroenterological manifestations include inflammatory bowel disease and hepatitis. Other complications include pneumonitis, athralgias/arthritis and rashes.

The purpose of this Research Topic is to enhance our understanding of advances in the fields on the mechanisms by which these medications induce irAEs, screening, early prognostic markers, outcomes and interventions, including:

1. Advances in the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of specific irAEs in patients with cancer treated with checkpoint inhibitors;

2. Contributing, predisposing and evolving mechanistic insights into factors predisposing to checkpoint inhibitor-induced irAEs, including but not limited to pre-existing autoimmunity, genetic polymorphisms, and microbiome characteristics;

3. Novel immunological phenotypes of distinct checkpoint inhibitor-induced irAEs, presented across multiple patients;

4. Novel shared or distinct clinical and pathological features with known autoimmune or endocrine diseases presented across multiple patients;

5. Relationship between irAE development with additional toxicity and patient outcomes.

6. Novel irAE emerging from novel immune checkpoint inhibitor, including clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, and outcome.

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) and single patient case studies are out of scope for this section.

Megan Burnett has research funding from Boehringer Ingelheim and Roderick Clifton Bligh is part of the advisory boards of Lilly, Pfizer, and Amgen.