The Role of Cetuximab in the Induction of Anticancer Immune Response in Colorectal Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies binding the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), such as cetuximab or panitumumab, are widely used targeted therapeutics for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer. The clinical significance of these drugs has so far been associated with combined chemotherapy or radiation. It has been shown that these treatment strategies have their clinical limitations and do not fully exploit the immunomodulatory effect of these drugs. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of immunomodulation together with the anticancer immune response to the monoclonal antibodies targeted to the EGFR. The combination of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies with other immunotherapeutic treatment modalities certainly brings new opportunities for targeted therapy in patients with colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; cetuximab; immune response; immunomodulation; review; targeted therapy.