Research progress on the effects of discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) on the colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and epidemiological data show that its incidence is increasing year by year. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated promising clinical efficacy across multiple solid tumors, including their use as third-line therapy for advanced CRC. However, a subset of patients exhibits poor treatment response due to primary or secondary resistance, particularly among those with mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) and/or microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC patients. Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1), as a novel receptor tyrosine protein kinase, plays a pivotal role in tumor cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and invasion, and it is even closely associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review will elucidate the role of DDR1 in the TME and the progress of DDR1 antibodies in CRC research. It will also explore whether DDR1 can enhance CRC treatment efficacy when combined with other therapeutic approaches by modulating the TME.