Combination of molecularly targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors in the new era of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

• Published in: Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology 2021, Vol.13, p.17588359211018026-17588359211018026
• Main Authors: Liu, Ze-Long, Liu, Jing-Hua, Staiculescu, Daniel, Chen, Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antitumor activity; Apoptosis; Bevacizumab; Cancer immunotherapy; Cell death; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Immune checkpoint inhibitors; Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a New Kid on the Block; Liver cancer; Monoclonal antibodies; Vascular endothelial growth factor
• ISSN: 1758-8359; 1758-8340; 1758-8359
• DOI: 10.1177/17588359211018026

Multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) have been the only first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for more than a decade, until the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Moreover, the combination regimen of atezolizumab (anti-programmed cell death protein ligand 1 antibody) plus bevacizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody) has recently been demonstrated to have superior efficacy when compared with sorafenib monotherapy. The remarkable efficacy has made this combination therapy the new standard treatment for advanced HCC. In addition to MKIs, many other molecularly targeted therapies are under investigation, some of which have shown promising results. Therefore, in the era of immuno-oncology, there is a significant rationale for testing the combinations of molecularly targeted therapies and ICIs. Indeed, numerous preclinical and clinical studies have shown the synergic antitumor efficacy of such combinations. In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on the combination of molecularly targeted therapies and immune checkpoint therapies for HCC from both preclinical and clinical perspectives.