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Autoimmunity in Acute Myocarditis: How Immunopathogenesis Steers New Directions for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Karina BruestleKlaus HacknerGudrun KreyeBettina Heidecker
Published in: Current cardiology reports (2020)
A new entity of myocarditis is immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) induced myocarditis. ICIs are used in advanced cancer to "disinhibit" the immune system and make it more aggressive in fighting cancer. This novel drug class has doubled life expectancy in metastatic melanoma and significantly increased progression free survival in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, but comes with a risk of autoimmune diseases such as myocarditis resulting from an overly aggressive immune system. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the heart with major public health impact. Thorough understanding of its immunopathogenesis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
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