EDITORIAL article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1723645
This article is part of the Research TopicCheckpoint Immunotherapy: Reshaping the Landscape of Gastrointestinal Cancer TreatmentView all 17 articles
Editorial: Checkpoint Immunotherapy - Reshaping the Landscape of Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment
Provisionally accepted
- 1Laiko General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
- 2Panepistemio Kretes Iatrike Schole, Heraklion, Greece
- 3Panepistemiako Geniko Nosokomeio Thessalonikes ACHEPA A Propaideutike Pathologike Klinike, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 have become standard treatments for advanced gastric, biliary tract, and colorectal cancers, significantly extending survival, achieving tumor regression, and enhancing organ preservation, particularly in dMMR/MSI-H subtypes [1], [2], [3], [4]. These therapies enable conversion of unresectable to resectable disease, as seen in gastric and colorectal cancers, and improve quality of life by reducing recurrence and supporting organ-sparing approaches. This editorial synthesizes contributions from recent studies in Frontiers in Immunology, highlighting the clinical utility of ICIs across key GI cancers-gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GC/GEJ), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), biliary tract cancer (BTC), colorectal/rectal cancer (CRC/RC), and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)-and situates these advancements within the broader immunotherapy landscape. ICIs have demonstrated robust clinical benefits across GI cancers, transforming treatment strategies and outcomes. [8], [17]. Multi-omics approaches, integrating genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, will refine personalized treatment, while real-world evidence This collection of studies underscores the profound impact of checkpoint immunotherapy on GI cancer management, demonstrating significant clinical benefits, innovative combination strategies, and biomarkers for personalized care. By addressing efficacy, safety, and accessibility, these findings pave the way for more effective and equitable treatments, inspiring continued innovation to improve outcomes for GI cancer patients worldwide.
Keywords: immune checkpoint inhibitors, Gastrointestinal cancers, tumor regression, Organ Preservation, biomarkers
Received: 12 Oct 2025; Accepted: 21 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Papadakos, Kouroumalis, Germanidis and Theocharis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Stavros P. Papadakos, stavrospapadakos@gmail.com
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