Anti-CD70 monoclonal antibody, clone FR70 [FITC]

CD27 is a co-stimulatory immune-checkpoint receptor, constitutively expressed on a broad range of T-cells (alpha beta and gamma delta), NK-cells and B-cells. Ligation of CD27 with CD70 results in potent co-stimulatory effects. In mice, co-stimulation of CD8(+) T-cells through CD27 promotes immune activation and enhances primary, secondary, memory and recall responses towards viral infections. Limited in vitro human studies support mouse experiments and show that CD27 co-stimulation enhances antiviral T-cell immunity. Given the potent costimulatory effects of CD27, manipulating CD27 signalling is of interest for viral, autoimmune and anti-tumour immunotherapies. This review focuses on the role of CD27 co-stimulation in anti-viral T-cell immunity and discusses clinical studies utilising the CD27 co-stimulation pathway for anti-viral, anti-tumour and autoimmune immunotherapy.

Over the last decades, advances in the knowledge of immunology have led to the identification of immune checkpoints, reinvigorating cancer immunotherapy. Although normally restricted to activated T and B cells, constitutive expression of CD70 in tumor cells has been described. Moreover, CD70 is implicated in tumor cell and regulatory T cell survival through interaction with its ligand, CD27. In this review, we summarize the targetable expression patterns of CD70 in a wide range of malignancies and the promising mechanism of anti-CD70 therapy in stimulating the anti-tumor immune response. In addition, we will discuss clinical data and future combination strategies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.