Does It MEK a Difference? Understanding Immune Effects of Targeted Therapy

BRAF inhibitor treatment (BRAFi) enhances anti-tumor immunity, but is associated with increased intra-tumoral PD-L1 expression. MEK inhibitors (MEKi) may alter T-cell function, however recent studies demonstrate preserved T-cell infiltrate during treatment with BRAFi/MEKi. These data have important implications for combining BRAFi/MEKi and checkpoint blockade in the treatment of melanoma.