Relationship Between Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors And Myocarditis

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) induce anti-cancer immunity. Several reports have indicated that treatment with ICIs is involved in myocarditis. In this Editorial, the relationship between ICIs and myocarditis is reviewed. The ICIs include ipilimumab, which is an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody, and nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and cemiplimab, which are anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibodies, and avelumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab, which are anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies. Myocarditis, defined as inflammation of the muscular walls of the heart, is induced by several infectious diseases and molecules. The investigation into ICI-related myocarditis is ongoing.