(C) Combining Cancer Vaccines with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Novel immunotherapies called immune check point inhibitors, including ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4 antibody), pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 antibody; MERCK), and Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody; BMS), have emerged as powerful therapeutic strategies for multiple types of cancer. The gene discussed is PDCD1; the disease is cancer.