[Immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer].

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Gastroenterology

Context:

• Gastrointestinal cancers represent a significant burden of solid tumors in Germany.
• Prognosis at diagnosis is frequently critical.
• Standard treatments include surgery and drug therapies to prevent relapse and manage metastasis.

Purpose:

• To review the role and advancements of immunotherapies in treating gastrointestinal cancers.
• To highlight the mechanisms and clinical impact of monoclonal antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Summary:

• Monoclonal antibodies (mAB) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor family members (EGFR, Her2) are established treatments.
• These mABs work by disrupting oncogenic signaling and mediating immune responses like antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 are increasingly important, especially in gastrointestinal cancers with deficient DNA mismatch repair and microsatellite instability.

Impact:

• Immunotherapies, particularly ICIs, are transforming the natural history of specific gastrointestinal cancer subgroups.
• These advancements offer new hope and improved therapeutic strategies for patients with advanced or relapsed disease.
• The understanding of immune mechanisms is crucial for developing future targeted therapies.