| Abstract The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is
expressed by activated T cells that act as an immunoregulatory
molecule, and are responsible for the negative regulation of Tcell
activation and peripheral tolerance. The PD-1 gene also encodes
an inhibitory cell surface receptor involved in the regulation of T
cell functions during immune responses/tolerance. Beyond po-
tent inhibitory effects on T cells, PD-1 also has a role in regulat-
ing B cell and monocyte responses. An overexpression of PD-1
has been reported to contribute to immune system avoidance in
different cancers. In particular, PD-1 over-expression influences
tumor-specific T cell immunity in a cancer microenvironment.
Blocking the PD-1/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) pathway could
potentially augment endogenous antitumor responses. Along
these lines, the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has been applied
in clinical trials against diverse forms of cancer. It was believed
that antibodies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 might synergize with other
treatments that enhance endogenous antitumor immunity by
blocking inhibitory receptor-ligand interactions. However, in all
cases, the host genetic status (as well as that of the tumor) is likely
to have an impact on the expected outcomes. Various investiga-
tions have evaluated the association between PD-1 polymor-
phisms and the risk of various types of cancer. Frequently studied
PD-1 polymorphisms, PD-1.1 (rs36084323), PD-1.3
(rs11568821), PD-1.5 (rs2227981), PD-1.9 (rs2227982), and
PD-1 rs7421861, and their associations in the risk of susceptibil-
ity to different types of cancer are mentioned in this review, as are
studies highlighting the significance of conducting genetic asso-
ciation studies in different ethnic populations. |