Does it MEK a difference? Understanding immune effects of targeted therapy

Abstract

BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) treatment enhances antitumor immunity, but is associated with increased intratumoral PD-L1 expression. MEK inhibitors (MEKi) may alter T-cell function; however, recent studies demonstrate preserved T-cell infiltrate during treatment with BRAFi/MEKi. These data have important implications for combining BRAFi/MEKi and checkpoint blockade in the treatment of melanoma.