Immune checkpoint blockade in ovarian cancer

Increased numbers of tumour infiltrating T‑cells have long been associated with a better prognosis in ovarian cancer, which has led to the general assumption of a relevant impact of T‑cellular anti-tumour immunity in this disease. As a consequence of this knowledge, a multitude of immunologic therapies has emerged over the past years. Although some reports could evidence a successful induction of anti-tumour T‑cells, in general, these attempts did not translate into clinically significant activity. As has already been shown in other tumour entities, immune checkpoint blockade – mainly antibodies directed against PD-1 and PD-L1 – could possibly become a real “game changer” in ovarian cancer in the future.