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Ding K, Mou P, Wang Z, Liu S, Liu J, Lu H, Yu G. The next bastion to be conquered in immunotherapy: microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1298524. [PMID: 38187388 PMCID: PMC10770832 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1298524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its incidence continues to rise, particularly in developing countries. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has represented a significant advancement in CRC treatment. Deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) serves as a biomarker for immunotherapy, with dMMR/MSI-H CRC exhibiting significantly better response rates to immunotherapy compared to proficient mismatch repair (pMMR)or microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC. While some progress has been made in the treatment of pMMR/MSS CRC in recent years, it remains a challenging issue in clinical practice. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role not only in the development and progression of CRC but also in determining the response to immunotherapy. Understanding the characteristics of the TME in pMMR/MSS CRC could offer new insights to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the current research progress on the TME characteristics and advancements in immunotherapy for pMMR/MSS CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei Mou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Pudong New Area People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuqing Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - JinPei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gongli Hospital of Shanghai Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ganjun Yu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine & National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Preti B, Schenkel L, Cecchini M, Romagnoli T, Sanatani MS, French K, Colquhoun P, Vincent MD. Double Duty: Complete Pathologic Response of Two Colonic Primaries with Mosaicism of a Novel MLH1 Mutation to Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:9039-9048. [PMID: 37887553 PMCID: PMC10605803 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30100653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a fascinating case of a 57-year-old male with a novel mutation in MLH1 (MLH1:c.1288G > T, p.(Glu430*)), who presented with two synchronous colonic tumours, initially deemed unresectable, and experienced a complete pathological response on neoadjuvant pembrolizumab. Extensive genetic testing revealed post-zygotic mosaicism from the novel mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Preti
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (M.S.S.); (M.D.V.)
| | - Laila Schenkel
- Division of Molecular Diagnostics, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
| | - Matthew Cecchini
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (M.C.); (T.R.)
| | - Tommaso Romagnoli
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (M.C.); (T.R.)
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Michael Susmoy Sanatani
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (M.S.S.); (M.D.V.)
| | - Karissa French
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Patrick Colquhoun
- Department of Surgery, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
| | - Mark David Vincent
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (M.S.S.); (M.D.V.)
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Boutin M, Topham JT, Feilotter H, Kennecke HF, Couture F, Harb M, Kavan P, Berry S, Lim HJ, Goffin JR, Ahmad C, Lott A, Renouf DJ, Jonker DJ, Tu D, O’Callaghan CJ, Chen EX, Loree JM. Optimizing the number of variants tracked to follow disease burden with circulating tumor DNA assays in metastatic colorectal cancer. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231183682. [PMID: 37389190 PMCID: PMC10302520 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231183682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The number of somatic mutations detectable in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is highly heterogeneous in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The optimal number of mutations required to assess disease kinetics is relevant and remains poorly understood. Objectives To determine whether increasing panel breadth (the number of tracked variants in a ctDNA assay) would alter the sensitivity in detecting ctDNA in patients with mCRC. Design We used archival tissue sequencing to perform an in silico assessment of the optimal number of tracked mutations to detect and monitor disease kinetics in mCRC using sequencing data from the Canadian Cancer Trials Group CO.26 trial. Methods For each patient, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, or 16 of the most clonal (highest variant allele frequency) somatic variants were selected from archival tissue-based whole-exome sequencing and assessed for the proportion of variants detected in matched ctDNA at baseline, week 8, and progression timepoints. Results Data from 110 patients were analyzed. Genes most frequently encountered among the top four highest VAF variants in archival tissue were TP53 (51.9% of patients), APC (43.3%), KRAS (42.3%), and SMAD4 (9.6%). While the frequency of detecting at least one tracked variant increased when expanding beyond variant pool sizes of 1 and 2 in baseline (p = 0.0030) and progression (p = 0.0030) ctDNA samples, we observed no significant benefit to increases in variant pool size past four variants in any of the ctDNA timepoints (p < 0.05). Conclusion While increasing panel breadth beyond two tracked variants improved variant re-detection in ctDNA samples from patients with treatment refractory mCRC, increases beyond four tracked variants yielded no significant improvement in variant re-detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Boutin
- Division of Medical Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada Centre Intégré de Cancérologie de la Montérégie, Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Harriet Feilotter
- Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Scott Berry
- Department of Oncology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Howard J. Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Daniel J. Renouf
- Division of Medical Oncology, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada Pancreas Center BC, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Derek J. Jonker
- The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dongsheng Tu
- Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Eric X. Chen
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan M. Loree
- Division of Medical Oncology, BC Cancer, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada
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Zhu J, Lian J, Xu B, Pang X, Ji S, Zhao Y, Lu H. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for colorectal cancer: Right regimens, right patients, right directions? Front Immunol 2023; 14:1120684. [PMID: 36949951 PMCID: PMC10026962 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1120684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) or chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical resection and then adjuvant therapy is considered the optimal treatment model for locally advanced colorectal cancer (LACRC). A recent total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) strategy further improved the tumour regression rate preoperatively and reduced local-regional recurrence in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, distant metastasis was still high, and little overall survival benefit was obtained from these preoperative treatment models. According to mismatch repair protein expression, MSI-H/dMMR and non-MSI-H/pMMR statuses were defined in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Due to the special features of biologics in MSI-H/dMMR CRC patients, this subgroup of patients achieved little treatment efficacy from chemoradiotherapy but benefited from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The KEYNOTE-177 trial observed favourable survival outcomes in metastatic CRC patients treated with one-line pembrolizumab with tolerable toxicity. Given the better systemic immune function, increased antigenic exposure, and improved long-term memory induction before surgery, neoadjuvant ICI (NAICI) treatment was proposed. The NICHE trial pioneered the use of NAICI treatment in LACRC, and recent reports from several phase II studies demonstrated satisfactory tumour downsizing in CRC. Preclinical rationales and preliminary early-phase human trials reveal the feasibility of NAICI therapy and the therapeutic efficacy provided by this treatment model. Better tumour regression before surgery also increases the possibility of organ preservation for low LARC. However, the optimal treatment strategy and effective biomarker identification for beneficiary selection remain unknown, and potential pitfalls exist, including tumour progression during neoadjuvant treatment due to drug resistance and surgery delay. Given these foundations and questions, further phase II or III trials with large samples need to be conducted to explore the right regimens for the right patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Zhu
- Department of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jie Lian
- Department of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Benjie Xu
- Department of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xiangyi Pang
- Department of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Shengjun Ji
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yutian Zhao
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haibo Lu
- Department of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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Fujiwara Y, Takahashi Y, Okada M, Kishimoto T, Kondo S, Fujikawa K, Hayama M, Sugeno M, Ueda S, Komuro K, Lanasa M, Nakano T. Phase I Study of Tremelimumab Monotherapy or in Combination With Durvalumab in Japanese Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors or Malignant Mesothelioma. Oncologist 2022; 27:e703-e722. [PMID: 35671201 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary objective of this phase I, open-label trial was to assess safety and tolerability of tremelimumab monotherapy and combination therapy with durvalumab in Japanese patients with advanced cancer. Tremelimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody against CTLA-4 in clinical trials; durvalumab is a monoclonal antibody against PD-L1 for the treatment of bladder and lung cancer. METHODS In part 1, tremelimumab 3 or 10 mg/kg was given every 4 weeks (Q4W) for 6 doses, and thereafter every 12 weeks until discontinuation (n = 8); subsequently tremelimumab 10 mg/kg Q4W for 6 doses/Q12W and thereafter until discontinuation was administered in 41 patients with malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM). In part 2, tremelimumab 10 mg/kg (Q4W for 6 doses followed by Q12W for 3 doses) was given in combination with durvalumab 15 mg/kg (Q4W for 13 doses) in cohort 1 (n = 4). In cohort 2 (n = 6), tremelimumab 1 mg/kg (Q4W for 4 doses) was given in combination with durvalumab 20 mg/kg (Q4W for 4 doses followed by 10 mg/kg Q2W for 22 doses), while in cohort 3 (n = 6), fixed-dose tremelimumab 75 mg Q4W for 4 doses plus durvalumab 1500 mg Q4W for 13 doses was given. RESULTS In part 1, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) for tremelimumab 3 or 10 mg/kg (Q4W for 6 doses/Q12W thereafter until discontinuation) were observed. Six (75%) patients reported treatment-related adverse events (trAEs). In the MPM dose-expansion cohort, 38 (92.7%) patients reported trAEs. In part 2, one DLT (Grade 4 myasthenia gravis) was reported for tremelimumab 10 mg/kg (Q4W for 6 doses/Q12W for 3 doses) plus durvalumab 15 mg/kg (Q4W for 13 doses). One DLT (Grade 4 hyperglycemia) was reported for tremelimumab 75 mg (Q4W for 4 doses) plus durvalumab 1500 mg (Q4W for 13 doses). Fourteen (87.5%) patients reported trAEs. Tremelimumab demonstrated low immunogenicity; 1 (16.7%) patient developed antidrug antibodies. CONCLUSION Tremelimumab 10 mg/kg (Q4W/Q12W), tremelimumab 1 mg/kg (Q4W) plus durvalumab 20 mg/kg (Q4W/10 mg/kg Q2W), and fixed-dose tremelimumab 75 mg (Q4W) plus durvalumab 1500 mg (Q4W) were safe and tolerable.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02141347 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02141347).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Fujiwara
- National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan and Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasuo Takahashi
- National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Cancer Centre, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Koshi Fujikawa
- National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Cancer Centre, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Takashi Nakano
- Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital, Hyogo, Japan and Otemae Hospital, Osaka, Japan
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Silva Vs, Riechelmann Rp, Mello CA, Felismino T, Taboada R. The Current and Evolving Role of Immunotherapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2022; 22:617-628. [PMID: 35209820 DOI: 10.2174/1568009622666220224110912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy can be considered a therapeutic revolution in oncology, with great impact on many tumor types, such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. However, in metastatic colorectal cancer, the benefits in terms of prolonged tumor control and high response rate are limited to the rare subgroup of tumors with high mutation burden - mostly tumors that harbor microsatellite instability (MSI) or a deficient mismatch repair system (dMMR), or tumor microsatellite stability and damaging mutations in the exonuclease domains of POLE or POLD. The KEYNOTE-028 uncontrolled phase II trial demonstrated an impressive antitumor activity of pembrolizumab in patients with treatment-refractory Lynch-associated tumors, including colorectal cancer. Nivolumab with or without ipilimumab confirmed the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with previously treated dMMR / MSI metastatic colorectal cancer. The recent KEYNOTE-177 phase III trial demonstrated that pembrolizumab significantly reduced the relative risk of disease progression or death and improved progression-free survival in patients with treatment-naive dMMR / MSI metastatic colorectal cancer in comparison with first-line chemotherapy with or without biologics. Unfortunately, current pharmacological strategies with immunotherapy have not been successful for most patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer. In this review we critically appraise the applicability of immune checkpoint inhibitors in dMMR/MSI metastatic colorectal cancer. We also discuss the recent negative trials of immunotherapy combinations in microsatellite stable tumors and the more mature immunotherapy ongoing studies in the field of advanced colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silva Vs
- Department of Clinical Oncology, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Riechelmann Rp
- Department of Clinical Oncology, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - C A Mello
- Department of Clinical Oncology, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felismino T
- Department of Clinical Oncology, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Taboada R
- Department of Clinical Oncology, AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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España MS. Treatment of advanced BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer: where we are and where we are going. Clin Colorectal Cancer 2022; 21:71-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clcc.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Immunotherapy in Gastrointestinal Malignancies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1342:259-272. [PMID: 34972968 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-79308-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies, each with a unique tumor biology that in turn affects response to treatment and subsequent prognosis. The interplay between tumor cells and the local immune microenvironment also varies within each GI malignancy and can portend prognosis and response to therapy. Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has changed the treatment landscape of various solid tumors including (but not limited to) renal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and lung cancer. Advances in the understanding between the interplay between the immune system and tumors cells have led to the integration of immunotherapy as standard of care in various GI malignancies. For example, immunotherapy is now a mainstay of treatment for tumors harboring defects in DNA mismatch repair proteins and tumors harboring a high mutational load, regardless of primary site of origin. Data from recent clinical trials have led to the integration of immunotherapy as standard of care for a subset of gastroesophageal cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we outline the current landscape of immunotherapy in GI malignancies and highlight ongoing clinical trials that will likely help to further our understanding of how and when to integrate immunotherapy into the treatment of various GI malignancies.
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He R, Lao Y, Yu W, Zhang X, Jiang M, Zhu C. Progress in the Application of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Immunotherapy for Targeting Different Types of Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:764618. [PMID: 34888243 PMCID: PMC8648667 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.764618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC), a common malignant disease, has the second highest mortality rate among all cancer types. Due to the diversity and heterogeneity of CRC, few effective treatment strategies have been developed in recent years, except for surgical resection. As immunotherapy has become a revolutionary treatment after surgery, along with chemoradiotherapy and targeted therapy, numerous basic research studies and clinical trials have been conducted on CRC. Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has become the main anti-CRC immunotherapy method used at present. With the rapid development of biotechnology and cell research, an increasing number of monotherapy or combination therapy strategies using ICIs for CRC have been designed in recent years. Methods to classify and review ICI strategies for different types of CRC to better guide treatment are continuously investigated. However, the identification of why the ICIs would be more effective in targeting particular subtypes of CRC such as high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) is more important because of the different immune backgrounds in patients. This review intends to classify different subtypes of CRC and summarizes the basic and clinical studies on ICIs for each subtype of CRC currently available. In addition, we also attempt to briefly discuss the progress in immunotherapy methods other than ICI therapy, such as chemoimmunotherapy strategy, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells, or immunotherapy based on oncolytic viruses. Finally, we provide a perspective on the development of immunotherapy in the treatment of CRC and attempt to propose a new systematic classification of CRC based on immunological strategies, which may improve guidance for the selection of immunotherapy strategies for different subtypes of CRC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui He
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yefang Lao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenyan Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai International Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Chunrong Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Kim CW, Chon HJ, Kim C. Combination Immunotherapies to Overcome Intrinsic Resistance to Checkpoint Blockade in Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4906. [PMID: 34638390 PMCID: PMC8507875 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promising results in the treatment of treating various malignancies, progress has been severely limited in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). ICIs are effective in a fraction of patients with microsatellite instability-high mCRC but have little clinical efficacy in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) mCRC, which accounts for 95% of mCRC cases. MSS mCRCs are considered to have intrinsic resistance to ICI monotherapy through multiple mechanisms. (1) They are poorly immunogenic because of their low tumor mutation burden; (2) frequent activation of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway excludes intratumoral CD8+ T cell immunity; (3) the tumor microenvironment is immunosuppressive because of the presence of various immunosuppressive cells, including tumor-associated macrophages and regulatory T cells; and (4) frequent liver metastasis in MSS mCRC may reduce the efficacy of ICIs. To overcome these resistance mechanisms, combination approaches using various agents, including STING agonists, MEK inhibitors, VEGF/R inhibitors, WNT/β-catenin inhibitors, oncolytic viruses, and chemo/radiotherapy, are actively ongoing. Preliminary evidence of the efficacy of some has been shown in early clinical trials. This review summarizes novel combination immunotherapy strategies described in recent preclinical and clinical studies to overcome the limitations of ICI monotherapy in MSS mCRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Woo Kim
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 World Cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea;
| | - Hong Jae Chon
- Medical Oncology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13496, Korea
| | - Chan Kim
- Medical Oncology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, 59 Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13496, Korea
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Sumransub N, Vantanasiri K, Prakash A, Lou E. Advances and new frontiers for immunotherapy in colorectal cancer: Setting the stage for neoadjuvant success? Mol Ther Oncolytics 2021; 22:1-12. [PMID: 34307839 PMCID: PMC8280480 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy in the metastatic setting has drastically altered the landscape of treatment for various types of malignancy, including colorectal cancer. The category of immune checkpoint inhibitors has especially emerged as a class of therapy predicated on a more comprehensive understanding of immune cell-cancer cell regulation and evolution of the tumor microenvironment over time. Strategies including adoptive cellular therapies, tumor vaccines, and antibodies have also demonstrated the ability to enhance antitumor immunity. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the current landscape of immunotherapeutic strategies in colorectal cancer and provide insight into how these strategies may evolve in the next decade and be adapted to more localized forms of cancers of the colon and rectum. We provide particular focus on various combination approaches under investigation for reversing cancer-induced immunosuppression, especially in mismatch repair-proficient/microsatellite-stable colorectal tumors. Finally, we summarize current understanding on a recently identified integral factor in local immune regulation, the colonic microbiome. The aim of this article is to identify current challenges and barriers to improvement and to specify opportunities for applying knowledge in the immunotherapy sphere to rational design of clinical trials intended to improve survival and related outcomes in patients treated in the neoadjuvant setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuttavut Sumransub
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St., SE, MMC 480, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kornpong Vantanasiri
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St., SE, MMC 480, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ajay Prakash
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, 160 E. 34th St., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emil Lou
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St., SE, MMC 480, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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TremelImumab and Durvalumab Combination for the Non-OperatIve Management (NOM) of Microsatellite InstabiliTY (MSI)-High Resectable Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: The Multicentre, Single-Arm, Multi-Cohort, Phase II INFINITY Study. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112839. [PMID: 34200267 PMCID: PMC8201030 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The status of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) in gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC) patients eligible for radical surgery proved to be prognostic for an improved survival outcome and predictive for poor/no benefit from the combination of adjuvant/peri-operative chemotherapy. MSI-H tumors display a high sensitivity to immunotherapy and exploratory studies showed that a pre-operative treatment with immune-checkpoint inhibitors may achieve elevated rates of pathological complete responses. The ongoing proof-of-concept INFINITY study is aimed at investigating the role of the combo-immunotherapy durvalumab plus tremelimumab as a neoadjuvant or potentially definitive treatment (avoiding surgery in case of complete clinical response) for MSI-H resectable GC/GEJC patients. Abstract In resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC), the powerful positive prognostic effect and the potential predictive value for a lack of benefit from the combination of adjuvant/peri-operative chemotherapy for the MSI-high status was demonstrated. Given the high sensitivity of MSI-high tumors for immunotherapy, exploratory trials showed that combination immunotherapy induces a high rate of complete pathological response (pCR), potentially achieving cancer cure without surgery. INFINITY is an ongoing phase II, multicentre, single-arm, multi-cohort trial investigating the activity and safety of tremelimumab and durvalumab as neoadjuvant (Cohort 1) or potentially definitive (Cohort 2) treatment for MSI-high/dMMR/EBV-negative, resectable GC/GEJC. About 310 patients will be pre-screened, to enroll a total of 31 patients, 18 and 13 in Cohort 1 and 2, at 25 Italian Centres. The primary endpoint of Cohort 1 is rate of pCR (ypT0N0) and negative ctDNA after neoadjuvant immunotherapy, of Cohort 2 is 2-year complete response rate, defined as absence of macroscopic or microscopic residual disease (locally/regionally/distantly) at radiological examinations, tissue and liquid biopsy, during non-operative management without salvage gastrectomy. The ongoing INFINITY proof-of-concept study may provide evidence on immunotherapy and the potential omission of surgery in localized/locally advanced GC/GEJC patients selected for dMMR/MSI-high status eligible for radical resection.
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Hanna CR, O'Cathail SM, Graham J, Adams R, Roxburgh CS. Immune Checkpoint Inhibition as a Strategy in the Neoadjuvant Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOTHERAPY AND PRECISION ONCOLOGY 2021; 4:86-104. [PMID: 35663532 PMCID: PMC9153256 DOI: 10.36401/jipo-20-31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has seen major advances over the past 3 decades, with multimodality treatment now standard of care. Combining surgical resection with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy can reduce local recurrence from around 20% to approximately 5%. Despite improvements in local control, distant recurrence and subsequent survival rates have not changed. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved patient outcomes in several solid tumor types in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and advanced disease setting; however, in colorectal cancer, most clinical trials have been performed in the metastatic setting and the benefits confined to microsatellite instability-high tumors. In this article, we review the current preclinical and clinical evidence for using immune checkpoint inhibition in the treatment of LARC and discuss the rationale for specifically exploring the use of this therapy in the neoadjuvant setting. We summarize and discuss relevant clinical trials that are currently in setup and recruiting to test this treatment strategy and reflect on unanswered questions that still need to be addressed within future research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R. Hanna
- Cancer Research United Kingdom Clinical Trials Unit, Glasgow, Scotland
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Séan M. O'Cathail
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Janet Graham
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Richard Adams
- Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University and Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff, Wales
| | - Campbell S.D. Roxburgh
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland
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Zeng Z, Yang B, Liao Z. Biomarkers in Immunotherapy-Based Precision Treatments of Digestive System Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:650481. [PMID: 33777812 PMCID: PMC7991593 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.650481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (mainly referring to programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockades), derives durable remission and survival benefits for multiple tumor types including digestive system tumors [gastric cancer (GC), colorectal cancer (CRC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)], particularly those with metastatic or recurrent lesions. Even so, not all patients would respond well to anti-programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 agents (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) in gastrointestinal malignancies, suggesting the need for biomarkers to identify the responders and non-responders, as well as to predict the clinical outcomes. PD-L1expression has increasingly emerged as a potential biomarker when predicting the immunotherapy-based efficacy; but regrettably, PD-L1 alone is not sufficient to differentiate patients. Other molecules, such as tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as well, are involved in further explorations. Overall, there are not still no perfect or well-established biomarkers in immunotherapy for digestive system tumors at present as a result of the inherent limitations, especially for HCC. Standardizing and harmonizing the assessments of existing biomarkers, and meanwhile, switching to other novel biomarkers are presumably wise and feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Zeng
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhengyin Liao
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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15
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Cui Y, Ou Y, Luo Y, Yu J, Lin Y, Chen S. Effective management of advanced colon cancer genotyping microsatellite stable/microsatellite instable-low with Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene mutation using nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with regorafenib and irinotecan: A case report. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2021; 9:2050313X211027737. [PMID: 35154775 PMCID: PMC8826103 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x211027737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsatellite stable /microsatellite instable-low is the most common colorectal cancer genotype, counting for approximately 85% of common colorectal cancer patients. Treatment of advanced microsatellite stable/microsatellite instable-low colorectal cancer is difficult and successful pharmacological treatment options are currently lacking. Here, we report a case of a 37-year-old man with advanced colorectal cancer genotyping microsatellite stable/microsatellite instable-low with a Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (G12V) mutation. Following palliative surgery, the patient did not response to the common recommended chemotherapy FOLFIRI regimen and other chemotherapy options. Finally, the patient was successfully treated using a unique combinational immunotherapy, using nivolumab plus ipilimumab combined with regorafenib and irinotecan. Significant improvement in the Karnofsky Performance Status scores, liver function and well-being, reduction in serum tumor biomarkers, and reduction in the size of multiple liver metastatic tumors was evident. This report provides a rare case in which a unique and effective combinational immunotherapy for refractory advanced colon cancer patients is discussed. It encourages further research into combined immunotherapy for immuno-insensitive colon cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqiang Cui
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Esophageal Cancer Precise Therapy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yimeng Ou
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongping Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiongbiao Yu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiguang Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Esophageal Cancer Precise Therapy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Yiguang Lin, University of Technology Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Size Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Esophageal Cancer Precise Therapy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
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16
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Zhang Y, Rajput A, Jin N, Wang J. Mechanisms of Immunosuppression in Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123850. [PMID: 33419310 PMCID: PMC7766388 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary More emerging studies are exploring immunotherapy for solid cancers, including colorectal cancer. Besides, checkpoint blockade immunotherapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -based immune cell therapy have being examined in clinical trials for colorectal cancer patients. However, immunosuppression that leads to the blockage of normal immunosurveillance often leads to cancer development and relapse. In this study, we systematically reviewed the mechanism of immunosuppression, specifically in colorectal cancer, from different perspectives, including the natural or induced immunosuppressive cells, cell surface protein, cytokines/chemokines, transcriptional factors, metabolic alteration, phosphatase, and tissue hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment. We also discussed the progress of immunotherapies in clinical trials/studies for colorectal cancer and highlighted how different strategies for cancer therapy targeted the immunosuppression reviewed above. Our review provides some timely implications for restoring immunosurveillance to improve treatment efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Abstract CRC is the third most diagnosed cancer in the US with the second-highest mortality rate. A multi-modality approach with surgery/chemotherapy is used in patients with early stages of colon cancer. Radiation therapy is added to the armamentarium in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. While some patients with metastatic CRC are cured, the majority remain incurable and receive palliative chemotherapy as the standard of care. Recently, immune checkpoint blockade has emerged as a promising treatment for many solid tumors, including CRC with microsatellite instability. However, it has not been effective for microsatellite stable CRC. Here, main mechanisms of immunosuppression in CRC will be discussed, aiming to provide some insights for restoring immunosurveillance to improve treatment efficacy in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Ashwani Rajput
- Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, National Capital Region, Sibley Memorial Hospital, 5255 Loughboro Road NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA;
| | - Ning Jin
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Correspondence: (N.J.); (J.W.); Tel.: +1-614-293-6529 (N.J.); +1-614-293-7733 (J.W.)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Correspondence: (N.J.); (J.W.); Tel.: +1-614-293-6529 (N.J.); +1-614-293-7733 (J.W.)
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17
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Alexander PG, McMillan DC, Park JH. A meta-analysis of CD274 (PD-L1) assessment and prognosis in colorectal cancer and its role in predicting response to anti-PD-1 therapy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2020; 157:103147. [PMID: 33278675 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.103147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors are novel therapeutic agents in colorectal cancer (CRC). Immunohistochemical staining for CD274 assessment is standardised in upper GI cancer, but not in CRC. METHODS Methodologies of relevant studies were scrutinized and meta-analysis of survival and CD274/PDCD1 performed. Furthermore, anti-PD-1 therapy clinical trial results in CRC were assessed with particular emphasis on CD274 assessment. RESULTS 24 studies were included. CD274 on immune cells was associated with good prognosis. CD274 on tumour cells has heterogenous outcomes and does not meet requirements of a prognostic marker. As a marker of response to anti-PD-1 therapy, CD274 assessment is not standardised in CRC. CONCLUSION CD274 does not appear useful as a prognostic marker. As a marker of response to anti-PD-1 therapy, assessment methodology requires standardisation. As the Combined Positive Score (CPS) is used in upper GI cancer, this seems a logical method to adopt. Thresholds for CRC remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James H Park
- School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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18
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Lizardo DY, Kuang C, Hao S, Yu J, Huang Y, Zhang L. Immunotherapy efficacy on mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancer: From bench to bedside. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1874:188447. [PMID: 33035640 PMCID: PMC7886024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancers (CRCs) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) often have sustained responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) including selective monoclonal antibodies against Program Death 1 (PD-1), Programmed Death Ligand 1(PD-L1), and cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4). However, a substantial fraction of dMMR CRCs do not respond or ultimately develop resistance to immunotherapy. The majority (~85%) of CRCs are MMR proficient (pMMR) or microsatellite stable (MSS) and lack response to ICIs. Understanding the biology and mechanisms underlying dMMR-associated immunogenicity is urgently needed for improving the therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy on CRC. Compared to pMMR/MSS CRCs, dMMR/MSI CRCs typically have increased tumor mutational burden (TMB), lower response rate to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, distinctive immunological features such as high tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and better prognosis. Here, we review the current understanding of the clinical relevance of dMMR/MSI in CRCs, the molecular basis and rationales for targeting dMMR CRC with immunotherapy, and clinical approaches using ICIs as single agents or in combination with other therapies for MSI-H CRCs. Furthermore, we address the potential strategies to sensitize pMMR/MSS CRC to immunotherapy by converting an immunologically "cold" microenvironment into a "hot" one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darleny Y Lizardo
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Chaoyuan Kuang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Suisui Hao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jian Yu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Yi Huang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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19
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Hack SP, Zhu AX, Wang Y. Augmenting Anticancer Immunity Through Combined Targeting of Angiogenic and PD-1/PD-L1 Pathways: Challenges and Opportunities. Front Immunol 2020; 11:598877. [PMID: 33250900 PMCID: PMC7674951 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.598877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy (CIT) with antibodies targeting the programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis have changed the standard of care in multiple cancers. However, durable antitumor responses have been observed in only a minority of patients, indicating the presence of other inhibitory mechanisms that act to restrain anticancer immunity. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies targeted against other immune suppressive mechanisms are needed to enhance anticancer immunity and maximize the clinical benefit of CIT in patients who are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibition. Preclinical and clinical studies have identified abnormalities in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that can negatively impact the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. Angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drive immunosuppression in the TME by inducing vascular abnormalities, suppressing antigen presentation and immune effector cells, or augmenting the immune suppressive activity of regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and tumor-associated macrophages. In turn, immunosuppressive cells can drive angiogenesis, thereby creating a vicious cycle of suppressed antitumor immunity. VEGF-mediated immune suppression in the TME and its negative impact on the efficacy of CIT provide a therapeutic rationale to combine PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies with anti-VEGF drugs in order to normalize the TME. A multitude of clinical trials have been initiated to evaluate combinations of a PD-1/PD-L1 antibody with an anti-VEGF in a variety of cancers. Recently, the positive results from five Phase III studies in non-small cell lung cancer (adenocarcinoma), renal cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma have shown that combinations of PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies and anti-VEGF agents significantly improved clinical outcomes compared with respective standards of care. Such combinations have been approved by health authorities and are now standard treatment options for renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. A plethora of other randomized studies of similar combinations are currently ongoing. Here, we discuss the principle mechanisms of VEGF-mediated immunosuppression studied in preclinical models or as part of translational clinical studies. We also discuss data from recently reported randomized clinical trials. Finally, we discuss how these concepts and approaches can be further incorporated into clinical practice to improve immunotherapy outcomes for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. Hack
- Product Development (Oncology), Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Andrew X. Zhu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Jiahui International Cancer Center, Jiahui Health, Shanghai, China
| | - Yulei Wang
- Product Development (Oncology), Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
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20
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Lu Z, Peng Z, Liu C, Wang Z, Wang Y, Jiao X, Li J, Shen L. Current Status and Future Perspective of Immunotherapy in Gastrointestinal Cancers. Innovation (N Y) 2020; 1:100041. [PMID: 34557714 PMCID: PMC8454608 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2020.100041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a major public health problem worldwide. Due to the late detection and high heterogeneity of GI cancers, traditional treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, have shown limited effects, and the overall prognosis of these patients remains poor. Recently, immunotherapy, involving programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), has shown promising efficacy in several solid cancers and seems to have become a potential treatment option for GI cancers This review focuses on data on the development of immunotherapy-based clinical trials in esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. The predictive biomarkers and combination strategies in clinical trials and translational medicine are also discussed. Finally, prospects for immunotherapy in the treatment of GI cancers are described. Although only a small proportion of patients with GI cancers respond to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, we strongly believe that precision immunotherapy might improve the overall survival of many more GI cancer patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Lu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Zhi Peng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Zhenghang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Yakun Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Xi Jiao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Lin Shen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 FuCheng Road, Hai-Dian District, Beijing, 100142, China
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21
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Millen R, Hendry S, Narasimhan V, Abbott R, Croxford M, Gibbs P, Tie J, Wong H, Jones I, Kosmider S, Byrne D, Zalcberg J, Fox S, Desai J, Visvanathan K, Ramsay RG, Tran B. CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes within the primary tumor of patients with synchronous de novo metastatic colorectal carcinoma do not track with survival. Clin Transl Immunology 2020; 9:e1155. [PMID: 32953115 PMCID: PMC7484874 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), particularly CD8+ TILs in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), are highly prognostic in the early-disease stages (I-II). In metastatic disease (stage IV; mCRC), their influence is less well defined. It has presumably failed to contain tumor cells to the primary site; however, is this evident? We explored the prognostic impact of TILs at the primary site in patients who presented de novo with mCRC. METHODS Treatment-naïve patients (109) with mCRC were assessed for CD8+ TILs and PD-L1 expression. Microsatellite instability (MSI) was evaluated by IHC for PMS2 and MSH6 proteins and/or by PCR using the Bethesda panel. RESULTS Microsatellite instability-high tumors had significantly more CD8+ TILs, with no significant survival advantage observed between MSI-H and microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors (12 vs 19 months, P = 0.304). TIL density for all cases had no impact on OS (low: 20 vs high: 13 months, P = 0.426), while PD-L1 of 1% or higher was associated with reduced mean survival (9.6 vs 18.9 months; P = 0.038). MSI-H tumors and associated immune cells had higher PD-L1 expression than in MSS cases. A positive correlation between PD-L1 on immune cells and CD8+ve TILs was found. A subset of MSS tumors had relatively high TILs approximating that of MSI-H tumors. CONCLUSION In contrast to early-stage CRC, the immune response in primary tumors of patients with de novo mCRC does not appear to influence survival. A subgroup of MSS tumors was identified with increased TILs/PD-L1 comparable to MSI-H tumors, traditionally not be considered for immune checkpoint blockade and perhaps should be.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Millen
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
- St. Vincent's HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Shona Hendry
- Department of Anatomical PathologySt Vincent's Hospital MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
- Department of PathologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Vignesh Narasimhan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Rebecca Abbott
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | | | - Peter Gibbs
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
- Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Jeanne Tie
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
- Western HealthFootscrayVICAustralia
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
- Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Hui‐Li Wong
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
- Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Ian Jones
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Suzanne Kosmider
- Western HealthFootscrayVICAustralia
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - David Byrne
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - John Zalcberg
- Monash UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
- Alfred HealthPrahranVICAustralia
| | - Stephen Fox
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Jayesh Desai
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Kumar Visvanathan
- St. Vincent's HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
- University of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Robert G Ramsay
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Ben Tran
- Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreMelbourneVICAustralia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of OncologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
- Royal Melbourne HospitalMelbourneVICAustralia
- Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
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22
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Puccini A, Battaglin F, Iaia ML, Lenz HJ, Salem ME. Overcoming resistance to anti-PD1 and anti-PD-L1 treatment in gastrointestinal malignancies. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:e000404. [PMID: 32393474 PMCID: PMC7223273 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, the unprecedented results of immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to a paradigm shift in clinical practice for the treatment of several cancer types. However, the vast majority of patients with gastrointestinal cancer do not benefit from immunotherapy. To date, microsatellite instability high and DNA mismatch repair deficiency are the only robust predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, these patients comprise only 5%-10% of all gastrointestinal cancers. Several mechanisms of both innate and adaptive resistance to immunotherapy have been recognized that may be at least in part responsible for the failure of immune checkpoint inhibitors in this population of patients. In the first part of this review article, we provide an overview of the main clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with gastrointestinal cancer and the role of predictive biomarkers. In the second part, we discuss the actual body of knowledge in terms of mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy and the most promising approach that are currently under investigation in order to expand the population of patients with gastrointestinal cancer who could benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Puccini
- University of Genoa, Medical Oncology Unit 1, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genova, Italy
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Francesca Battaglin
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maria Laura Iaia
- University of Genoa, Medical Oncology Unit 1, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genova, Italy
| | - Heinz-Josef Lenz
- Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mohamed E Salem
- Department of Medical Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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23
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Current Options for Third-line and Beyond Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Spanish TTD Group Expert Opinion. Clin Colorectal Cancer 2020; 19:165-177. [PMID: 32507561 DOI: 10.1016/j.clcc.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a public health problem: it is the third most common cancer in men (746,000 new cases/year) and the second in women (614,000 new cases/year), representing the second leading cause of death by cancer worldwide. The survival of patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) has increased prominently in recent years, reaching a median of 25 to 30 months. A growing number of patients with mCRC are candidates to receive a treatment in third line or beyond, although the optimal drug regimen and sequence are still unknown. In this situation of refractoriness, there are several alternatives: (1) To administer sequentially the 2 oral drugs approved in this indication: trifluridine/tipiracil and regorafenib, which have shown a statistically significant benefit in progression-free survival and overall survival with a different toxicity profile. (2) To administer cetuximab or panitumumab in treatment-naive patients with RAS wild type, which is increasingly rare because these drugs are usually indicated in first- or second-line. (3) To reuse drugs already administered that were discontinued owing to toxicity or progression (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, fluoropyrimidine, antiangiogenics, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor [if RAS wild-type]). High-quality evidence is limited, but this strategy is often used in routine clinical practice in the absence of alternative therapies especially in patients with good performance status. (4) To use specific treatments for very selected populations, such as trastuzumab/lapatinib in mCRC human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, immunotherapy in microsatellite instability, intrahepatic therapies in limited disease or primarily located in the liver, although the main recommendation is to include patients in clinical trials.
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Kim SY, Kim TW. Current challenges in the implementation of precision oncology for the management of metastatic colorectal cancer. ESMO Open 2020; 5:e000634. [PMID: 32188714 PMCID: PMC7078672 DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2019-000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last few decades, molecularly targeted agents have been used for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. They have made remarkable contributions to prolonging the lives of patients. The emergence of several biomarkers and their introduction to the clinic have also aided in guiding such treatment. Recently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled clinicians to identify these biomarkers more easily and reliably. However, there is considerable uncertainty in interpreting and implementing the vast amount of information from NGS. The clinical relevance of biomarkers other than NGS are also subjects of debate. This review covers controversial issues and recent findings on such therapeutics and their molecular targets, including VEGF, EGFR, BRAF, HER2, RAS, actionable fusions, Wnt pathway and microsatellite instability for comprehensive understanding of obstacles on the road to precision oncology in metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Young Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Won Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Kreidieh M, Mukherji D, Temraz S, Shamseddine A. Expanding the Scope of Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer: Current Clinical Approaches and Future Directions. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:9037217. [PMID: 32090113 PMCID: PMC7008242 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9037217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in an increasing range of heavily mutated tumor types such as melanoma has culminated in their exploration in different subsets of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). As a result of their dramatic and durable response rates in patients with chemorefractory, mismatch repair-deficient-microsatellite instability-high (dMMR-MSI-H) mCRC, ICIs have become potential alternatives to classical systemic therapies. The anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) agents, Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab, have been granted FDA approval for this subset of patients. Unfortunately, however, not all CRC cases with the dMMR-MSI-H phenotype respond well to ICIs, and ongoing studies are currently exploring biomarkers that can predict good response to them. Another challenge lies in developing novel treatment strategies for the subset of patients with the mismatch repair-proficient-microsatellite instability-low (pMMR-MSI-L) phenotype that comprises 95% of all mCRC cases in whom treatment with currently approved ICIs has been largely unsuccessful. Approaches aiming at overcoming the resistance of tumors in this subset of patients are being developed including combining different checkpoint inhibitors with either chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic agents, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer (ACT), or bispecific T-cell (BTC) antibodies. This review describes the rationale behind using immunotherapeutics in CRC. It sheds light on the progress made in the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with dMMR-MSI-H CRC. It also discusses emerging approaches and proposes potential strategies for targeting the immune microenvironment in patients with pMMR-MSI-L CRC tumors in an attempt to complement immune checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malek Kreidieh
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Deborah Mukherji
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sally Temraz
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Ali Shamseddine
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Mizrahi J, Pant S. Immunotherapy in Gastrointestinal Malignancies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1244:93-106. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41008-7_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Pietrantonio F, Randon G, Romagnoli D, Di Donato S, Benelli M, de Braud F. Biomarker-guided implementation of the old drug temozolomide as a novel treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2020; 82:101935. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2019.101935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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28
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Tintelnot J, Stein A. Immunotherapy in colorectal cancer: Available clinical evidence, challenges and novel approaches. World J Gastroenterol 2019; 25:3920-3928. [PMID: 31413527 PMCID: PMC6689806 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i29.3920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to other tumor types, immunotherapy has not yet become a relevant part of the treatment landscape of unselected colorectal cancer. Beside the small subgroup of deficient mismatch repair or microsatellite instable tumors (about 5%) as a surrogate for high mutational burden and subsequently high neoantigen load and immunogenicity, inhibitors of programmed death 1 (PD-1), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and/or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 were not or only modestly effective in metastatic colorectal cancer. Thus, a variety of combination approaches with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, toll-like receptor agonists, local ablation or oncolytic viruses is currently being evaluated in different disease settings. Despite several encouraging single arm data already presented or published, available randomized data are unimpressive. Adding PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to fluoropyrimidines and bevacizumab maintenance showed no beneficial impact on delaying progression. In refractory disease, the combination of PD-1/PD-L1 and MEK inhibitor was not different from regorafenib, whereas a PD-1/PD-L1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 inhibitor combination demonstrated better overall survival compared to supportive care alone. Clinical trials in all disease settings applying different combination approaches are ongoing and may define the role of immunotherapy in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Tintelnot
- Department of Internal Medicine II (Oncology Center), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | - Alexander Stein
- Department of Internal Medicine II (Oncology Center), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
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Ghiringhelli F, Fumet JD. Is There a Place for Immunotherapy for Metastatic Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer? Front Immunol 2019; 10:1816. [PMID: 31447840 PMCID: PMC6691024 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitor targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 revolutionized the treatment of microsatellite instable metastatic colon cancer. Such treatment is now a standard of care for these patients. However, when used as monotherapy checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 are not effective in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with microsatellite stable tumors. Recent advances in biology provide a rationale for this intrinsic resistance and support the evaluation of combination therapy to reverse resistance. This article will highlight recent findings on the mechanism of intrinsic resistance and recent advances in clinical trials for combination therapy.
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Seufferlein T, Simões C, Kude F, Ettrich TJ. Molecular Approaches to Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Better Diagnosis - Better Treatment? Visc Med 2019; 35:259-264. [PMID: 31602389 PMCID: PMC6738174 DOI: 10.1159/000500617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular diagnostics of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are coming of age. Whereas for many years RAS mutations were the only relevant molecular alterations examined in mCRC, nowadays the BRAF, HER2, and microsatellite instability status of a given tumor is gaining importance, since it has not only prognostic relevance but opens new avenues for therapeutic approaches. This review summarizes the recent advances in molecular approaches to mCRC and their therapeutic consequences and discusses novel approaches for molecular diagnostics in mCRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Carolina Simões
- Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitario Lisboa Norte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernando Kude
- Pathology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Thomas J. Ettrich
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
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Wang D, Lin J, Yang X, Long J, Bai Y, Yang X, Mao Y, Sang X, Seery S, Zhao H. Combination regimens with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors for gastrointestinal malignancies. J Hematol Oncol 2019; 12:42. [PMID: 31014381 PMCID: PMC6480748 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-019-0730-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) malignant neoplasms have a high global incidence and treatment prospects for patients with advanced GI tumors are dismal. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors emerged as a frontline treatment for several types of cancer. However, the shortcomings of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have been observed, including low objective response rates and acquired tumor resistance, especially in patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors as a single treatment. Accumulating evidence from clinical trials increasingly suggests that combined immunotherapies enhance therapeutic responses in patients with malignances, especially for GI tumors which have a complex matrix, and significant molecular and immunological differences. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest there are advantages to combined immunological regimens, which represents the next logical step in this field, although further research is necessary. This literature review explores the current limitations of monotherapies, before critically discussing the rationale behind combination regimens. Then, we provide a summary of the clinical applications for gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianzhen Lin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Junyu Long
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Bai
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yilei Mao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xinting Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Samuel Seery
- Department of Humanities, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Haitao Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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