Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) plays a critical role in the progression of various cancers through its involvement in cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. More recently, FGFR1 has been implicated in the mechanisms of immune evasion, particularly its role in resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab. Targeting FGFR1 with monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance ICI efficacy by altering the tumor microenvironment and countering immune suppression. Preclinical studies demonstrate that combining FGFR1 inhibitors, such as the novel monoclonal antibody OM-RCA-01, with ICIs significantly improves antitumor activity, enhancing T cell responses and cytokine production. This article explores the role of FGFR1 in cancer biology, its contribution to immunotherapy resistance, and the therapeutic potential of targeting FGFR1 to enhance the efficacy of ICIs.

Neoantigen-based immunotherapy has emerged as a transformative approach in cancer treatment, offering precision medicine strategies that target tumor-specific antigens derived from genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic alterations unique to cancer cells. These neoantigens serve as highly specific targets for personalized therapies, promising more effective and tailored treatments. The aim of this article is to explore the advances in neoantigen-based therapies, highlighting successful treatments such as vaccines, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, T-cell receptor-engineered T cells therapy (TCR-T), and chimeric antigen receptor T cells therapy (CAR-T), particularly in cancer types like glioblastoma (GBM). Advances in technologies such as next-generation sequencing, RNA-based platforms, and CRISPR gene editing have accelerated the identification and validation of neoantigens, moving them closer to clinical application. Despite promising results, challenges such as tumor heterogeneity, immune evasion, and resistance mechanisms persist. The integration of AI-driven tools and multi-omic data has refined neoantigen discovery, while combination therapies are being developed to address issues like immune suppression and scalability. Additionally, the article discusses the ongoing development of personalized immunotherapies targeting tumor mutations, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration between computational and experimental approaches. Ultimately, the integration of cutting-edge technologies in neoantigen research holds the potential to revolutionize cancer care, offering hope for more effective and targeted treatments.

Exportin-1 (XPO1) is a nuclear export protein that, when overexpressed, can facilitate cancer cell proliferation and survival and is frequently overexpressed or mutated in cancer patients. As such, selective inhibitors of XPO1 (XPO1i) function have been developed to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. This review outlines the evidence for the immunomodulatory properties of XPO1 inhibition and discusses the potential for combining and sequencing XPO1i with immunotherapy to improve the treatment of patients with cancer. Selinexor is a first-in-class XPO1i that is FDA-approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory (RR) multiple myeloma and RR diffuse large B cell lymphoma. In addition to the cancer cell intrinsic pro-apoptotic activity, increasing evidence suggests that XPO1 inhibition has immunomodulatory properties. In this review, we describe how XPO1i can lead to a skewing of macrophage polarisation, inhibition of neutrophil extracellular traps, modulation of immune checkpoint expression, blockade of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and sensitisation of cancer cells to T cell and NK (natural killer) cell immunosurveillance. As such, there is an opportunity for selinexor to enhance immunotherapy efficacy and thus a need for clinical trials assessing selinexor in combination with immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, direct targeting monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells and cereblon E3 ligase modulators (CELMoDs).