Question

Why does removing the blockage between PD-1 and PD-L1 result in T-cell activation against cancer cells?

a. Increased binding affinity between T-cell and cancer cell proteins.
b. Enhanced recognition of cancer cell antigens by T-cells.
c. Improved communication between T-cells and cancer cells.
d. Allowing T-cells to release cytotoxic agents.

If healthy cells express PD-L1, what happens when PD-1/PD-L1 blockage occurs with immunotherapy?
a. T-cells destroy healthy cells.
b. T-cells ignore healthy cells.
c. Random outcomes in T-cell response.
d. T-cells only destroy cancer cells.

How does the dosage and frequency of PD-L1 inhibitors like Atezolizumab impact T-cell activity against cancer cells and healthy cells?
a. High doses selectively activate T-cells against cancer cells.
b. Low doses activate T-cells against both cancer and healthy cells.
c. Dosage and frequency influence T-cell specificity.
d. Mechanism unclear; random outcomes observed.

Answer 1

Removing the blockage between PD-1 and PD-L1 unleashes T-cells to attack cancer cells by preventing PD-1 from inhibiting T-cell activation. However, there's a risk that T-cells may also destroy healthy cells expressing PD-L1. Dosage and frequency of PD-L1 inhibitors must be carefully managed to maximize cancer cell targeting while minimizing harm to healthy cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Why does removing the blockage between PD-1 and PD-L1 result in T-cell activation against cancer cells? The removal results in T-cell activation because PD-1 is a protein that naturally inhibits T-cell action when it binds to PD-L1, a process that cancer cells exploit to protect themselves. By disrupting this interaction, checkpoint inhibitors allow T-cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

If healthy cells express PD-L1, what happens when PD-1/PD-L1 blockage occurs with immunotherapy? T-cells may destroy healthy cells which present PD-L1 as well, leading to potential side effects known as 'immune-related adverse events'.

How does the dosage and frequency of PD-L1 inhibitors like Atezolizumab impact T-cell activity against cancer cells and healthy cells? Dosage and frequency can influence T-cell specificity and reactivity; too much can lead to an overactive immune response affecting both cancerous and healthy cells, while controlled dosing attempts to minimize such effects and target only cancer cells.