Abstract / Description
Though cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of several tumor types, progress for immunotherapy in gastrointestinal (GI) tumors has been difficult. Recently, there have been rapid developments in bispecific T-cell engagers for the treatment of several hematologic malignancies. These can circumvent several limitations of conventional cancer immunotherapy by using bispecific antibodies to target CD3 and a tumor-specific antigen, thereby promoting anti-tumor cytotoxicity independent of major histocompatibility complex restriction or T-cell receptor specificity. Given the significant efficacy of this approach in leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma, there is great interest in the potential for bispecific T-cell engagers in GI cancers. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of current clinical and preclinical studies exploring bispecific T-cell engagers in GI cancers. Further, we briefly discuss potential barriers to therapeutic efficacy and important considerations regarding potential toxicity.