Biliary tract carcinomas (BTC) is characterized by high hetergenity. Despite being classified as rare cancers worldwide, the incidence of biliary tract carcinomas is increasing in China due to significant geographic variation. The current global needs for the treatment of BTC are far from being met, with advanced chemotherapy providing only limited survival benefits. Molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and drug combination therapy have begun to flourish in recent years as its genetic characteristics are gradually revealed. This review summarized the therapeutically important targets of BTC, such as fibroblast growth factor receptor, isocitrate dehydrogenase and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase as well as the advances in the research and development of their inhibitors, and prospects for precision targeted therapy for BTC.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are highly heterogeneous tumours. Currently, the global demand for advanced BTC treatment is far from being met, and the survival benefit from advanced chemotherapy is limited. In recent years, with the rise of precision treatment, there are more and more treatment options available for advanced BTC. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) inhibitors, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibody drug conjugates, and bispecific antibodies, have been explored in BTC. This article reviews the research progress and prospects of HER2 inhibitors in BTC in recent years, so as to provide a better clinical guidance.

Objective: To observe the safety and clinical efficacy of tumor antigen-pulsed dendritic cell(DC) vaccine in treatment of advanced malignant tumor.Methods: Ninety-one patients with non-small cell lung cancer,colon and rectal cancer,melanoma,renal carcinoma,breast cancer and other malignant tumors were enrolled in this study.All patients met the selecting standard and signed informed consent.Human dendritic cells were obtained from peripheral blood monocytes by culturing them with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4.DC vaccine was prepared from tumor antigen pulsed immature dendritic cells in vitro.Patients received the vaccine therapy once every week and one cycle was defined as once every week for 3 weeks.Results: All the patients received 96 cycles of DC vaccine treatment.Symptoms of toxicity included fever,shivering,aching pain of muscle,asthenia,itching,stifle and transient fatigue;most of the symptoms automatically recovered.Clinical efficacy of the treatment was evaluated in 76 patients.Thirty-one of the 76 patients were stable after treatment and 45 were in progressive situation,with the clinical benefiting rate being 40.8%.Eighty-five patients were followed up.The median time for progression was 2.6 months;the overall survival time was 0.9-30.6 months;and the median survival period was 4.5 months,with the one year survival rate being 9.2%.Conclusion: The results suggest that the DC vaccine therapy is well tolerated in treating patients with advanced malignant tumors and has satisfactory clinical benefit;the clinical value of DC vaccine therapy needs to be further observed.