OCC Targeted Therapy & Immunotherapy in Oncology 2

Question 1

Which immune checkpoint molecule does pembrolizumab (Keytruda) target?

Accepted Answer

PD-1

Answer

Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets PD-1 on T cells, blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and restoring anti-tumor T cell activity.

Question 2

Ipilimumab was the first FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor (2011) and targets which molecule?

Accepted Answer

CTLA-4 on T cells

Answer

Ipilimumab targets CTLA-4, a negative regulator of T cell activation in lymph nodes, thereby amplifying anti-tumor immune responses in melanoma.

Question 3

What is the first procedural step in manufacturing autologous CAR-T cell therapy for a patient?

Accepted Answer

Perform leukapheresis to collect the patient's T cells

Answer

Leukapheresis to collect the patient's own T cells is the first manufacturing step; these cells are then genetically engineered to express the chimeric antigen receptor.

Question 4

Which biomarker is most commonly used to predict response to PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors across multiple tumor types?

Accepted Answer

PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry (tumor proportion score)

Answer

PD-L1 expression measured by IHC is an established predictive biomarker for checkpoint inhibitor response, with higher expression generally correlating with greater benefit.

Question 5

Atezolizumab differs from pembrolizumab and nivolumab in that it targets which molecule?

Accepted Answer

PD-L1 on tumor and immune cells

Answer

Atezolizumab targets PD-L1 (the ligand) rather than PD-1 (the receptor), blocking the interaction from the antigen-presenting or tumor cell side.

(OCC) Oncology Chemotherapy Certification Practice Test

(OCC) Oncology Chemotherapy Certification Practice Test

OCC Targeted Therapy & Immunotherapy in Oncology 2