The interaction of programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) on the surface of immune cells with its ligand, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), expressed on tumour cells and antigen-presenting cells, leads to tumour immune evasion. Antibodies that target either PD-1 or its ligand PD-L1 have shown a favourable response in cancer patients, especially those with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only 15 to 25% of advanced NSCLC patients will benefit from immunotherapy. The PD-L1 tumour proportion score (TPS) is the current standard biomarker to select patients for PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, as patients with a high PD-L1 TPS show better response compared to patients with a low PD-L1 TPS. However, since PD-L1 expression is a continuous variable and is an imperfect biomarker, investigation into additional predictive markers is warranted. This review focuses on tumour- and non-tumour-associated factors that have been shown to affect the response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in NSCLC. We also delve into mechanistic and clinical evidence on these potential biomarkers and their relationship to the tumour microenvironment (TME).
免疫细胞表面的程序性细胞死亡受体1(PD-1)与肿瘤细胞及抗原呈递细胞表达的程序性细胞死亡配体1(PD-L1)相互作用,会导致肿瘤免疫逃逸。针对PD-1或其配体PD-L1的抗体在癌症患者(尤其是非小细胞肺癌患者)中显示出良好的治疗反应。然而,仅15%至25%的晚期非小细胞肺癌患者能从免疫治疗中获益。目前PD-L1肿瘤比例评分(TPS)是筛选患者接受PD-1/PD-L1阻断治疗的标准生物标志物,因为高PD-L1 TPS患者较低PD-L1 TPS患者表现出更好的治疗反应。但由于PD-L1表达是连续变量且作为生物标志物存在局限性,有必要探索其他预测性标志物。本综述重点探讨已证实影响非小细胞肺癌患者对PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂反应的肿瘤相关与非肿瘤相关因素,并深入分析这些潜在生物标志物的作用机制、临床证据及其与肿瘤微环境的关系。