Treatment with antihistamines was associated with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to an MD Anderson study published Nov. 24 in Cancer Cell.
Researchers performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data from Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center patients undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
In patients with melanoma or lung cancer, concurrent use of antihistamines targeting histamine receptor H1 was correlated with significantly improved survival outcomes. Breast or colon cancer patients displayed similar trends, but researchers did not determine statistical significance due to the sample size.
"Our preclinical findings suggest that antihistamines have the potential to enhance responses to immunotherapy, especially in those with high levels of histamine in the blood," Dihua Yu, MD, PhD, study author and interim chair of molecular and cellular oncology at MD Anderson, said in a press release. "There is more work to be done, but we are excited to continue exploring possible therapeutic applications with antihistamines, which offer an inexpensive approach with minimal side effects."