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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Immunology

Advances in immunotherapy for gastrointestinal malignancies

  • Bo Liu1
  • Lei Wang1
  • Yuehan Ma2
  • Weijie Xu3
  • Xinting Chen4
  • Zhaocheng Chi1
  • Baocheng Xing1
4 affiliations
  1. 1Second Department of Gastrocolorectal Surgery, Jilin Cancer Hospital
  2. 2First Department of Gastrocolorectal Surgery, Jilin Cancer Hospital
  3. 3Department of Medical Oncology, Jilin Cancer Hospital
  4. 4Department of Endoscopy, Jilin Cancer Hospital
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Abstract

Gastrointestinal malignancies remain leading causes of cancer mortality, yet their sensitivity to immunotherapy differs sharply across anatomical sites, histologies, molecular subtypes, and disease stages. Immune checkpoint blockade has established durable clinical benefit in microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer, advanced gastric and esophageal cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary tract cancer, while pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer remain largely refractory. Recent phase III trials have moved immunotherapy into perioperative treatment. Concurrently, claudin 18.2-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cells, T-cell receptor-engineered cells, bispecific antibodies, personalized vaccines, and oncolytic viruses are converting previously speculative strategies into clinically testable platforms. This review integrates contemporary trial evidence with mechanisms of immune escape, biomarker development, and combination toxicity. The resulting framework prioritizes evidence maturity across diverse gastrointestinal tumor types worldwide.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{liu2026advances,
  title = {{Advances in immunotherapy for gastrointestinal malignancies}},
  author = {Bo Liu and Lei Wang and Yuehan Ma and Weijie Xu and Xinting Chen and Zhaocheng Chi and Baocheng Xing},
  journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1969637},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1969637/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Advances in immunotherapy for gastrointestinal malignancies
AU  - Bo Liu
AU  - Lei Wang
AU  - Yuehan Ma
AU  - Weijie Xu
AU  - Xinting Chen
AU  - Zhaocheng Chi
AU  - Baocheng Xing
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/14
JO  - Frontiers in Immunology
DO  - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1969637
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1969637/full
AB  - Gastrointestinal malignancies remain leading causes of cancer mortality, yet their sensitivity to immunotherapy differs sharply across anatomical sites, histologies, molecular subtypes, and disease stages. Immune checkpoint blockade has established durable clinical benefit in microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer, advanced gastric and esophageal cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary tract cancer, while pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer remain largely refractory. Recent phase III trials have moved immunotherapy into perioperative treatment. Concurrently, claudin 18.2-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cells, T-cell receptor-engineered cells, bispecific antibodies, personalized vaccines, and oncolytic viruses are converting previously speculative strategies into clinically testable platforms. This review integrates contemporary trial evidence with mechanisms of immune escape, biomarker development, and combination toxicity. The resulting framework prioritizes evidence maturity across diverse gastrointestinal tumor types worldwide.
SN  - 1664-3224
ER  -