The Impact of Immunotherapy Drugs on the Human Nervous System

Immunotherapy is rapidly becoming one of the most promising directions in the modern approach to cancer treatment. CAR-T cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and gene therapies have shown great potential in enhancing the quality of life of patients, through the activation of the body’s immune system against cancerous cells. In addition to cancer, immunotherapy is being tested in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer disease. However, these therapies entail certain risks especially with regard to the nervous system. There is increasing evidence that immunotherapies are associated with neurotoxic side effects such as neuroinflammation, encephalitis, cognitive decline and peripheral neuropathy which can greatly affect patient’s quality of life. This review focuses on the description of these immunotherapies’ mechanisms and clinical use as well as their impact on the CNS and PNS adverse effects. Measures that can help avoid these risks include precision medicine, better gene delivery vectors, and selective treatment approaches, which are very helpful in maximizing the safety and efficacy of immunotherapy. One of the critical issues of further development of these novel therapeutic interventions is the optimization of desired therapeutic outcomes and possible neurological adverse effects.