Emerging role for novel immunotherapy agents in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: from bench to bedside.

Therapies that augment the antitumor immune response have been an established treatment modality for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) since the 1980s. An improved understanding of the factors that limit the immune response to cancer have led to the development of novel therapeutic agents. Most notably, monoclonal antibodies that block the programmed death (PD)-1 immune checkpoint pathway have demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity against mRCC in phase I and II clinical trials. However, as monotherapy these agents are unlikely to offer substantial clinical benefit for the majority of patients with mRCC. Combination approaches and improvements in patient selection will be essential to enhance their efficacy and ensure the rational application of immunotherapy. This review summarizes the clinical and preclinical data that support the use of novel immunotherapies for mRCC and looks forward to future directions for this promising therapeutic strategy.