Perspectives on the Efficacy and Biomarkers of Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy for Patients with Colorectal Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 636

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Interests: gastrointestinal oncology; targeted therapy; immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we intend to provide a comprehensive update on precision medicine treatments and immunotherapeutics for patients with colorectal cancer. The scope of this Special Issue will include the efficacy of novel targeted therapeutic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors, treatment-related adverse events and their management and the role of biomarkers for treatment selection as well as molecular underpinnings of mechanisms of resistance covering these novel agents.

This Special Issue aims to focus on these topics, amongst others. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ibrahim Halil Sahin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • colorectal cancer
  • precision medicine
  • targeted therapeutics
  • immunotherapy
  • KRAS
  • BRAF
  • HER2
  • biomarkers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 963 KiB  
Review
Targeting the KRAS Oncogene for Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
by Ruoyu Miao, James Yu and Richard D. Kim
Cancers 2025, 17(9), 1512; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17091512 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with KRAS mutations occurring in approximately 40% of cases. These mutations drive tumorigenesis through the constitutive activation of key signaling pathways, such as RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-AKT-mTOR, contributing to therapeutic resistance and [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with KRAS mutations occurring in approximately 40% of cases. These mutations drive tumorigenesis through the constitutive activation of key signaling pathways, such as RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-AKT-mTOR, contributing to therapeutic resistance and poor prognosis. Advances in molecular biology have led to significant breakthroughs, including the development of KRAS G12C inhibitors, such as sotorasib and adagrasib, which have shown promise in clinical trials. However, their efficacy is limited to a small subset of KRAS-mutant CRC, and resistance mechanisms often emerge through compensatory pathway activation. Combination strategies, including KRAS inhibitors with anti-EGFR agents, have been explored in trials like KRYSTAL-1 and CodeBreaK 300. Emerging research highlights the role of the tumor microenvironment in immune evasion and therapeutic resistance, offering opportunities for novel immunotherapy approaches, including KRAS neoantigen vaccines and adoptive T-cell therapy. Despite these advancements, challenges such as intratumoral heterogeneity, limited immune infiltration, and non-G12C KRAS mutations remain significant hurdles. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms, current advances and challenges, and future prospects in the management of KRAS-mutant CRC. Full article
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