Targeting KRAS: Crossroads of Signaling and Immune Inhibition

Abstract

Mutations of RAS are commonly seen in human cancers, especially in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Despite huge effort for decades, targeting RAS mutations has been ‘‘undruggable’’ because of the molecular instability of RAS protein inhibition. However, the recent discovery of the KRAS G12C inhibitor paved the way to expand therapeutic options for patients with cancer harboring the KRAS G12C mutation. At the same time, the successful development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) drastically changed the paradigm of cancer treatment and resulted in a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment in patients with KRAS-mutant cancer. This review describes the following: the clinical characteristics of cancer with KRAS mutation; successful development of the KRAS G12C inhibitor and its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment; and potential new avenues such as the combination strategy using KRAS inhibitor and ICI, with preclinical and clinical rationales for overcoming resistance to inhibition of KRAS to improve therapeutic efficacy for patients with cancer harboring KRAS mutations.

Keywords

• kras mutation
• kras g12c inhibitor
• immune checkpoint inhibitor
• tumor immune microenvironment