Fig. 1

Immune checkpoints with potential therapeutic value in NSCLC. Reported immune checkpoints inhibitors with therapeutic value in NSCLC are illustrated. Because of the limited beneficiary population and resistance to ICIs against PD1/L1 axis, novel agents targeting in other immune checkpoints are developed to overcome the currently limitation of ICIs. After the recognition of TCR and MHC, costimulatory factors help to regulate the activation of T cells. The stimulation of positive checkpoints and inhibition of negative checkpoints are to maintain or recover the anticancer ability of T cells. Antibodies targeting negative checkpoints (PD-1/PD-L1, TIM-3/Galectin, NKG2A/HLA-E, CD73) are to release the inhibition of T cells, while agonists of positive checkpoints (GITR/GITRL) are to strengthen the activation of T cells