Genomic Landscape, Targeted Therapies, and Mechanisms of Resistance in Molecularly Selected Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients
amplifications, improving outcomes in selected patient populations. Nevertheless, the emergence of both intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms continues to limit the durability of these responses. Resistance to targeted therapies in mCRC arises through multiple, often convergent mechanisms, including activation of compensatory signaling pathways, pre-existing genomic heterogeneity, and therapy-driven clonal selection. The integration of molecular profiling into clinical decision-making is essential to guide treatment selection and optimize therapeutic sequencing, ultimately enabling progress in precision oncology. Advances in genomic technologies, particularly circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis, have allowed longitudinal monitoring of tumor evolution, providing important insights into the mechanisms underlying resistance to targeted therapies. The aim of this review is to summarize the genomic landscape of mCRC and discuss current targeted therapeutic strategies in molecularly defined subgroups, with a particular focus on the mechanisms driving primary and acquired resistance.
Authors
- C. Vaghi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5023-3521)
- Iosune Baraibar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3500-9641)
- Josep M. Tabernero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2495-8139)
- Francesc Salvà (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9240-4907)
- Elena Élez
- Clara Salva de Torres
- Marta Rodríguez Castells
- Nadia Saoudi Gonzalez
- Patricia Garcia Pastor
- Javier Ros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8137-5415)
Institutions
- Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda (IT)
- Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari (ES)
- CIBBIM-Nanomedicine (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Genes
- Published
- 2026-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17040460
- Primary Topic
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00