title: Immunotherapy of colorectal cancer: new perspectives after a long path.
abstract: Although significant therapeutic improvement has been achieved in the last 10 years, the survival of metastatic colorectal cancer patients remains in a range of 28 to 30 months. Presently, systemic treatment includes combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and/or irinotecan together with a backbone of 5-fluorouracil/levofolinate, alone or in combination with monoclonal antibodies to VEGFA (bevacizumab) or EGF receptor (cetuximab and panitumumab). The recent rise of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the therapeutic scenario has renewed scientific interest in the investigation of immunotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. According to our experience and view, here, we review the immunological strategies investigated for the treatment of this disease, including the use of tumor target-specific cancer vaccines, chemo-immunotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiotherapy, Department of Medicine, Surgery & Neuroscience, Siena University School of Medicine, Viale Bracci 11, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Correale
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit & Medical Oncology Unit, AUO 'Materdomini', Magna Grecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Cirino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit & Medical Oncology Unit, AUO 'Materdomini', Magna Grecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciliberto
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiotherapy, Department of Medicine, Surgery & Neuroscience, Siena University School of Medicine, Viale Bracci 11, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pastina
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit & Medical Oncology Unit, AUO 'Materdomini', Magna Grecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ingargiola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & General Pathology, Second Naples University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zappavigna
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit & Medical Oncology Unit, AUO 'Materdomini', Magna Grecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tassone
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiotherapy, Department of Medicine, Surgery & Neuroscience, Siena University School of Medicine, Viale Bracci 11, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pirtoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & General Pathology, Second Naples University, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caraglia
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit & Medical Oncology Unit, AUO 'Materdomini', Magna Grecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierosandro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D061025:Costimulatory and Inhibitory T-Cell Receptors / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D061025:Costimulatory and Inhibitory T-Cell Receptors
keywords: cancer vaccine; carcinoembryonic antigen; chemotherapy; colorectal cancer; immune-modulating strategies; thymidylate synthase