Advancements in colorectal cancer immunotherapy: from CAR-T cells to exosome-based therapies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a major worldwide health issue, with elevated death rates linked to late stages of the illness. Immunotherapy has made significant progress in developing effective techniques to improve the immune system's capacity to identify and eradicate cancerous cells. This study examines the most recent advancements in CAR-T cell treatment and exosome-based immunotherapy for CRC. CAR-T cell therapy, although effective in treating blood cancers, encounters obstacles when used against solid tumours such as CRC. These obstacles include the presence of an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment and a scarcity of tumour-specific antigens. Nevertheless, novel strategies like dual-receptor CAR-T cells and combination therapy involving cytokines have demonstrated promise in surmounting these obstacles. Exosome-based immunotherapy is a promising approach for targeted delivery of therapeutic drugs to tumour cells, with high specificity and minimal off-target effects. However, there are still obstacles to overcome in the field, such as resistance to treatment, adverse effects associated with the immune system, and the necessity for more individualised methods. The current research is focused on enhancing these therapies, enhancing the results for patients, and ultimately incorporating these innovative immunotherapeutic approaches into the standard treatment protocols for CRC.