This invention is in the area of improved therapeutic combinations for and methods of treating selected cancers using specific Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) inhibitors in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In one aspect, an improved treatment for select cancers is disclosed using specific Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) inhibitors, for example UNC2371, in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, for example, a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) inhibitor, a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) inhibitor, or a programmed death-ligand 1 (PDL-1) inhibitor.
