Immunotherapy Strategies for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common type of gastrointestinal sarcomas. Recent treatment advancements have led to a significant improvement in the survival of patients living with GIST. Nevertheless, patients with metastatic GIST will eventually require multiple lines of treatment. The use of immunotherapies could potentially fill the role of such treatments and potentiate the current therapies. This article reviews the mechanism by which the immune system interacts with GIST and discusses several studies on the use of immunotherapies in GIST. ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal soft tissue sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract. The management of locally advanced or metastatic unresectable GIST involves detecting KIT, PDGFR, or other molecular alterations targeted by imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The role of immunotherapy in soft tissue sarcomas is growing fast due to multiple clinical and pre-clinical studies with no current standard of care. The potential therapies include cytokine-based therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, anti-KIT monoclonal antibodies, bi-specific monoclonal antibodies, and cell-based therapies. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the immunotherapeutic strategies for GIST.