Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab, also known as MK-3475, is a humanized IgG4 antibody able to inhibit the PD-1 (programmed cell death 1). PD-1 (Programmed Death Protein 1, CD279) is a transmembrane protein expressed on the surface of immune cells that binds to PD-L1 or PD-L2, inducing apoptosis of T cells and inhibiting immune responses. Cancer cells often overexpress PD-L1 or PD-L2, allowing them to suppress T cell activation, evade the host immune response, and proliferate. Thus, disrupting the PD-1 co-inhibitory pathways may be an effective approach to developing anti-cancer therapies, as well as other immune diseases like multiple sclerosis, arthritis, lupus, and type I diabetes. The overexpression of PD-1 in this cell line allows for the study of PD-1 antibodies and other novel therapeutics. Pembrolizumab is a humanized antibody currently used in the treatment of cancer, such as lung and breast cancer.