The old and the new: immune inhibitory receptors for the treatment of cancer

Abstract

Despite great efficacy in various cancers, current immune checkpoint blockade therapies remain insufficient for most patients. These therapies are limited by a lack of response, the development of resistance and the presence of immune-related adverse events. Many inhibitory receptors are currently being explored to overcome these limitations. We and others have shown the potential of LAIR-1 as a target in cancer immunotherapy, and the studies described in this thesis further contribute to our understanding of how LAIR-1 and collagen are involved in modulating the immune response against cancer. Furthermore, we move beyond currently described inhibitory receptors and identify a novel set of putative inhibitory receptors that have potential as targets for cancer immunotherapy. All together, the work in this thesis contributes to our understanding of immune inhibitory receptors for the treatment of cancer and outlines key considerations for the development of therapies targeting LAIR-1 and novel inhibitory receptors as cancer immunotherapy.