In many areas of clinical oncology and haematology, immunotherapy has become a potent therapeutic strategy. The era of immune checkpoint inhibitors has begun with the approval of ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the immune cell receptor CTLA-4. PD-1 pathway-targeting antibodies have increased the class of immune checkpoint drugs that have received clinical approval. Novel antibodies that target different immunological checkpoints are also being tested in clinic. Bispecific antibodies and adoptive T cell transfer using immune cells modified to express chimeric antigen receptors have both recently received approvals for use in specific purposes. Bispecific antibodies link T cells directly to tumour cells. More and more frequently, neurological side effects linked to the use of these innovative immunotherapeutic approaches are being identified.
