Dr. Haseebuddin on PD-1 Expression on Monocytes in RCC

Mohammed Haseebuddin, MD, a fellow in Urologic Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the overall significance of a study examining an elevated preoperative classical monocyte PD-1 mean fluorescence intensity level in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

There are 3 different types of monocytes, Haseebuddin explains, which are classical, intermediate, and non-classical. It is thought that the classical monocytes resemble proinflammatory monocytes, which then enter the tissue and act against cancer. All 3 of these monocytes play a role, he adds.

Regarding this study, researchers believed that PD-1 expression in select patient populations affects survival, leading to the idea that if monocytes seem to play a central role in the immune system, then perhaps PD-1 expression on monocytes are important for survival.