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Halle-Smith JM, Pearce H, Nicol S, Hall LA, Powell-Brett SF, Beggs AD, Iqbal T, Moss P, Roberts KJ. Involvement of the Gut Microbiome in the Local and Systemic Immune Response to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:996. [PMID: 38473357 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The systemic and local immunosuppression exhibited by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contributes significantly to its aggressive nature. There is a need for a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind this profound immune evasion, which makes it one of the most challenging malignancies to treat and thus one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The gut microbiome is now thought to be the largest immune organ in the body and has been shown to play an important role in multiple immune-mediated diseases. By summarizing the current literature, this review examines the mechanisms by which the gut microbiome may modulate the immune response to PDAC. Evidence suggests that the gut microbiome can alter immune cell populations both in the peripheral blood and within the tumour itself in PDAC patients. In addition, evidence suggests that the gut microbiome influences the composition of the PDAC tumour microbiome, which exerts a local effect on PDAC tumour immune infiltration. Put together, this promotes the gut microbiome as a promising route for future therapies to improve immune responses in PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Halle-Smith
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Hayden Pearce
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Samantha Nicol
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lewis A Hall
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Sarah F Powell-Brett
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrew D Beggs
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Tariq Iqbal
- Department of Gastroenterology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
- Microbiome Treatment Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Paul Moss
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Keith J Roberts
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Zhang CL, Shen Q, Liu FD, Yang F, Gao MQ, Jiang XC, Li Y, Zhang XY, En GE, Pan X, Pang B. SDC1 and ITGA2 as novel prognostic biomarkers for PDAC related to IPMN. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18727. [PMID: 37907515 PMCID: PMC10618477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44646-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The existing biomarkers are insufficient for predicting the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a precursor to PDAC; therefore, identifying biomarkers from differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PDAC and IPMN is a new and reliable strategy for predicting the prognosis of PDAC. In this study, four datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and standardized using the R package 'limma.' A total of 51 IPMN and 81 PDAC samples were analyzed, and 341 DEGs in PDAC and IPMN were identified; DEGs were involved in the extracellular matrix and tumor microenvironment. An acceptable survival prognosis was demonstrated by SDC1 and ITGA2, which were highly expressed during in vitro PDAC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. SDC1high was enriched in interferon alpha (IFN-α) response and ITGA2high was primarily detected in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which was verified using western blotting. We concluded that SDC1 and ITGA2 are potential prognostic biomarkers for PDAC associated with IPMN. Downregulation of SDC1 and ITGA2 expression in PDAC occurs via a mechanism involving possible regulation of IFN-α response, EMT, and immunity, which may act as new targets for PDAC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Long Zhang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qian Shen
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Fu-Dong Liu
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Meng-Qi Gao
- Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Xiao-Chen Jiang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yi Li
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xi-Yuan Zhang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Ge-Er En
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xue Pan
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Bo Pang
- International Medical Department of Guang'anmen Hospital China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100053, China.
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3
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Guo Y, Wang R, Shi J, Yang C, Ma P, Min J, Zhao T, Hua L, Song Y, Li J, Su H. Machine learning-based integration develops a metabolism-derived consensus model for improving immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007466. [PMID: 37739440 PMCID: PMC10533800 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (PAC) is one of the most malignant cancer types and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option. PAC cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, which is thought to modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and affect immunotherapy outcomes. However, the metabolic landscape of PAC and its association with the TME remains largely unexplored. METHODS We characterized the metabolic landscape of PAC based on 112 metabolic pathways and constructed a novel metabolism-related signature (MBS) using data from 1,188 patients with PAC. We evaluated the predictive performance of MBS for immunotherapy outcomes in 11 immunotherapy cohorts from both bulk-RNA and single-cell perspectives. We validated our results using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, colony-formation assays, and an in-house cohort. RESULTS MBS was found to be negatively associated with antitumor immunity, while positively correlated with cancer stemness, intratumoral heterogeneity, and immune resistant pathways. Notably, MBS outperformed other acknowledged signatures for predicting immunotherapy response in multiple immunotherapy cohorts. Additionally, MBS was a powerful and robust biomarker for predicting prognosis compared with 66 published signatures. Further, we identified dasatinib and epothilone B as potential therapeutic options for MBS-high patients, which were validated through experiments. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides insights into the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in PAC and introduces MBS as a robust metabolism-based indicator for predicting response to immunotherapy and prognosis in patients with PAC. These findings have significant implications for the development of personalized treatment strategies in patients with PAC and highlight the importance of considering metabolic pathways and immune infiltration in TME regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongdong Guo
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ronglin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jingjie Shi
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peixiang Ma
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jie Min
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ting Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lei Hua
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang Song
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Junqiang Li
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Haichuan Su
- Department of Oncology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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Panni UY, Chen MY, Zhang F, Cullinan DR, Li L, James CA, Zhang X, Rogers S, Alarcon A, Baer JM, Zhang D, Gao F, Miller CA, Gong Q, Lim KH, DeNardo DG, Goedegebuure SP, Gillanders WE, Hawkins WG. Induction of cancer neoantigens facilitates development of clinically relevant models for the study of pancreatic cancer immunobiology. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:2813-2827. [PMID: 37179276 PMCID: PMC10361914 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03463-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Neoantigen burden and CD8 T cell infiltrate are associated with clinical outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A shortcoming of many genetic models of PDAC is the lack of neoantigen burden and limited T cell infiltrate. The goal of the present study was to develop clinically relevant models of PDAC by inducing cancer neoantigens in KP2, a cell line derived from the KPC model of PDAC. KP2 was treated with oxaliplatin and olaparib (OXPARPi), and a resistant cell line was subsequently cloned to generate multiple genetically distinct cell lines (KP2-OXPARPi clones). Clones A and E are sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI), exhibit relatively high T cell infiltration, and have significant upregulation of genes involved in antigen presentation, T cell differentiation, and chemokine signaling pathways. Clone B is resistant to ICI and is similar to the parental KP2 cell line in terms of relatively low T cell infiltration and no upregulation of genes involved in the pathways noted above. Tumor/normal exome sequencing and in silico neoantigen prediction confirms successful generation of cancer neoantigens in the KP2-OXPARPi clones and the relative lack of cancer neoantigens in the parental KP2 cell line. Neoantigen vaccine experiments demonstrate that a subset of candidate neoantigens are immunogenic and neoantigen synthetic long peptide vaccines can restrain Clone E tumor growth. Compared to existing models, the KP2-OXPARPi clones better capture the diverse immunobiology of human PDAC and may serve as models for future investigations in cancer immunotherapies and strategies targeting cancer neoantigens in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Y Panni
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Michael Y Chen
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Felicia Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Darren R Cullinan
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lijin Li
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - C Alston James
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - S Rogers
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - A Alarcon
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - John M Baer
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daoxiang Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Christopher A Miller
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Qingqing Gong
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Kian-Huat Lim
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - S Peter Goedegebuure
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - William E Gillanders
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - William G Hawkins
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8109, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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5
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Ware MB, Phillips M, McQuinn C, Zaidi MY, Knochelmann HM, Greene E, Robinson B, Herting CJ, Mace TA, Chen Z, Zhang C, Farren MR, Ruggieri AN, Bowers JS, Shakya R, Farris AB, Young G, Carson WE, El-Rayes B, Paulos CM, Lesinski GB. Dual IL-6 and CTLA-4 blockade regresses pancreatic tumors in a T cell- and CXCR3-dependent manner. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e155006. [PMID: 36881480 PMCID: PMC10243806 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to enhance antitumor immune responses to pancreatic cancer via Ab-based blockade of IL-6 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Mice bearing s.c. or orthotopic pancreatic tumors were treated with blocking Abs to IL‑6 and/or CTLA-4. In both tumor models, dual IL-6 and CTLA-4 blockade significantly inhibited tumor growth. Additional investigations revealed that dual therapy induced an overwhelming infiltration of T cells into the tumor as well as changes in CD4+ T cell subsets. Dual blockade therapy elicited CD4+ T cells to secrete increased IFN-γ in vitro. Likewise, in vitro stimulation of pancreatic tumor cells with IFN-γ profoundly increased tumor cell production of CXCR3-specific chemokines, even in the presence of IL-6. In vivo blockade of CXCR3 prevented orthotopic tumor regression in the presence of the combination treatment, demonstrating a dependence on the CXCR3 axis for antitumor efficacy. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were required for the antitumor activity of this combination therapy, as their in vivo depletion via Abs impaired outcomes. These data represent the first report to our knowledge of IL-6 and CTLA‑4 blockade as a means to regress pancreatic tumors with defined operative mechanisms of efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Brandon Ware
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology
- Department of Surgery, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Christopher McQuinn
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mohammad Y. Zaidi
- Department of Surgery, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Hannah M. Knochelmann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Brian Robinson
- Department of Pathology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Thomas A. Mace
- Division of Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhengjia Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob S. Bowers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Alton B. Farris
- Department of Pathology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory Young
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - William E. Carson
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Chrystal M. Paulos
- Department of Surgery, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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6
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Benkhaled S, Peters C, Jullian N, Arsenijevic T, Navez J, Van Gestel D, Moretti L, Van Laethem JL, Bouchart C. Combination, Modulation and Interplay of Modern Radiotherapy with the Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Therapies in Pancreatic Cancer: Which Candidates to Boost Radiotherapy? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030768. [PMID: 36765726 PMCID: PMC9913158 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer (PDAC) is a highly diverse disease with low tumor immunogenicity. PDAC is also one of the deadliest solid tumor and will remain a common cause of cancer death in the future. Treatment options are limited, and tumors frequently develop resistance to current treatment modalities. Since PDAC patients do not respond well to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), novel methods for overcoming resistance are being explored. Compared to other solid tumors, the PDAC's tumor microenvironment (TME) is unique and complex and prevents systemic agents from effectively penetrating and killing tumor cells. Radiotherapy (RT) has the potential to modulate the TME (e.g., by exposing tumor-specific antigens, recruiting, and infiltrating immune cells) and, therefore, enhance the effectiveness of targeted systemic therapies. Interestingly, combining ICI with RT and/or chemotherapy has yielded promising preclinical results which were not successful when translated into clinical trials. In this context, current standards of care need to be challenged and transformed with modern treatment techniques and novel therapeutic combinations. One way to reconcile these findings is to abandon the concept that the TME is a well-compartmented population with spatial, temporal, physical, and chemical elements acting independently. This review will focus on the most interesting advancements of RT and describe the main components of the TME and their known modulation after RT in PDAC. Furthermore, we will provide a summary of current clinical data for combinations of RT/targeted therapy (tRT) and give an overview of the most promising future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofian Benkhaled
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Rue Meylenmeersch 90, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UNIL-CHUV, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Peters
- Department of Radiation Oncology, AZ Turnhout, Rubensstraat 166, 2300 Turnhout, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Jullian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Rue Meylenmeersch 90, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tatjana Arsenijevic
- Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Digestive Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles H.U.B. CUB Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Navez
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles H.U.B. CUB Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dirk Van Gestel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Rue Meylenmeersch 90, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luigi Moretti
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Rue Meylenmeersch 90, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Luc Van Laethem
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Digestive Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles H.U.B. CUB Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christelle Bouchart
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B.), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Rue Meylenmeersch 90, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-25-413-800
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7
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LRRC8A Is a Promising Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225526. [PMID: 36428619 PMCID: PMC9688930 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system with increasing morbidity and mortality. The lack of sensitive and reliable biomarkers is one of the main reasons for the poor prognosis. Volume-regulated anion channels (VRAC), which are ubiquitously expressed in the vertebrate cell membrane, are composed of leucine-rich repeat-containing 8A (LRRC8A) and four other homologous family members (LRRC8B-E). VRAC heterogeneous complex is implicated in each of the six "hallmarks of cancer" and represents a novel therapeutic target for cancer. In this study, LRRC8A was speculated to be a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PAAD based on a series of bioinformatics analyses. Additional cell experiments and immunohistochemical assays demonstrated that LRRC8A can affect the prognosis of PAAD and is correlated to cell proliferation, cell migration, drug resistance, and immune infiltration. Functional analysis indicated that LRRC8A influences the progression and prognosis of patients with PAAD by the regulation of CD8+ T cells immune infiltration. Taken together, these results can help in the design of new therapeutic drugs for patients with PAAD.
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8
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Recent developments of nanomedicine delivery systems for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.104042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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Gautam SK, Basu S, Aithal A, Dwivedi NV, Gulati M, Jain M. Regulation of pancreatic cancer therapy resistance by chemokines. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:69-80. [PMID: 36064086 PMCID: PMC10370390 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by high resistance and poor response to chemotherapy. In addition, the poorly immunogenic pancreatic tumors constitute an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that render immunotherapy-based approaches ineffective. Understanding the mechanisms of therapy resistance, identifying new targets, and developing effective strategies to overcome resistance can significantly impact the management of PDAC patients. Chemokines are small soluble factors that are significantly deregulated during PDAC pathogenesis, contributing to tumor growth, metastasis, immune cell trafficking, and therapy resistance. Thus far, different chemokine pathways have been explored as therapeutic targets in PDAC, with some promising results in recent clinical trials. Particularly, immunotherapies such as immune check point blockade therapies and CAR-T cell therapies have shown promising results when combined with chemokine targeted therapies. Considering the emerging pathological and clinical significance of chemokines in PDAC, we reviewed major chemokine-regulated pathways leading to therapy resistance and the ongoing endeavors to target chemokine signaling in PDAC. This review discusses the role of chemokines in regulating therapy resistance in PDAC and highlights the continuing efforts to target chemokine-regulated pathways to improve the efficacy of various treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra K Gautam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Soumi Basu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Abhijit Aithal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Nidhi V Dwivedi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Mansi Gulati
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA.
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10
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Stott MC, Oldfield L, Hale J, Costello E, Halloran CM. Recent advances in understanding pancreatic cancer. Fac Rev 2022; 11:9. [PMID: 35509672 PMCID: PMC9022729 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an intractable cancer and a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Over 90% of patients die within 1 year of diagnosis. Deaths from PDAC are increasing and it remains a cancer of substantial unmet need. A number of factors contribute to its poor prognosis: namely, late presentation, early metastases and limited systemic therapy options because of chemoresistance. A variety of research approaches underway are aimed at improving patient survival. Here, we review high-risk groups and efforts for early detection. We examine recent developments in the understanding of complex molecular and metabolic alterations which accompany PDAC. We explore artificial intelligence and biological targets for therapy and examine the role of tumour stroma and the immune microenvironment. We also review recent developments with respect to the PDAC microbiome. It is hoped that current research efforts will translate into earlier diagnosis, improvements in treatment and better outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyn C Stott
- Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lucy Oldfield
- Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jessica Hale
- Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Eithne Costello
- Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Liverpool, UK
| | - Christopher M Halloran
- Department of Molecular & Clinical Cancer Medicine, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Liverpool, UK
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11
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A Comprehensive Review of the Current and Future Role of the Microbiome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14041020. [PMID: 35205769 PMCID: PMC8870349 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14041020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This review summarizes the current literature related to the microbiome and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim of this review is to explore the current role of the microbiome in the disease process, screening/diagnostics and to postulate the future role with regards to therapeutic strategies including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and surgery. We further explore the future of microbiome modulation (faecal microbiome transplants, bacterial consortiums, anti-microbials and probiotics), their applications and how we can improve the future of microbiome modulation in a bid to improve PDAC outcomes. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to become the second most common cause of cancer death in the USA by 2030, yet progress continues to lag behind that of other cancers, with only 9% of patients surviving beyond 5 years. Long-term survivorship of PDAC and improving survival has, until recently, escaped our understanding. One recent frontier in the cancer field is the microbiome. The microbiome collectively refers to the extensive community of bacteria and fungi that colonise us. It is estimated that there is one to ten prokaryotic cells for each human somatic cell, yet, the significance of this community in health and disease has, until recently, been overlooked. This review examines the role of the microbiome in PDAC and how it may alter survival outcomes. We evaluate the possibility of employing microbiomic signatures as biomarkers of PDAC. Ultimately this review analyses whether the microbiome may be amenable to targeting and consequently altering the natural history of PDAC.
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12
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Kato A, Ng S, Thangasamy A, Han H, Zhou W, Raeppel S, Fallon M, Guha S, Ammanamanchi S. A potential signaling axis between RON kinase receptor and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in pancreatic cancer. Mol Carcinog 2021; 60:734-745. [PMID: 34347914 PMCID: PMC9292374 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of a pancreatic cancer cohort identified high MST1R (RON tyrosine kinase receptor) expression correlated with poor prognosis in human pancreatic cancer. RON expression is null/minimal in normal pancreas but elevates from pan-in lesions through invasive carcinomas. We report using multiple approaches RON directly regulates HIF-1α, a critical driver of genes involved in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. RON and HIF-1α are highly co-expressed in the 101 human PDAC tumors analyzed and RON expression correlated with HIF-1α expression in a subset of PDAC cell lines. knockdown of RON expression in RON positive cells blocked HIF-1α expression, whereas ectopic RON expression in RON null cells induced HIF-1α expression suggesting the direct regulation of HIF-1α by RON kinase receptor. RON regulates HIF-1α through an unreported transcriptional mechanism involving PI3 kinase-mediated AKT phosphorylation and Sp1-dependent HIF-1α promoter activity leading to increased HIF-1α mRNA expression. RON/HIF-1α modulation altered the invasive behavior of PDAC cells. A small-molecule RON kinase inhibitor decreased RON ligand, MSP-induced HIF-1α expression, and invasion of PDAC cells. Immunohistochemical analysis on RON knockdown orthotopic PDAC tumor xenograft confirmed that RON inhibition significantly blocked HIF-1α expression. RON/HIF-1α co-expression also exists in triple-negative breast cancer cells, a tumor type that also lacks molecular therapeutic targets. This is the first report describing RON/HIF-1α axis in any tumor type and is a potential novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihisa Kato
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.,Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Serina Ng
- Division of Molecular Medicine, TGen, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Amalraj Thangasamy
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Haiyong Han
- Division of Molecular Medicine, TGen, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Wendi Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Michael Fallon
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Sushovan Guha
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Sudhakar Ammanamanchi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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13
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Easty DJ, Farr CJ, Hennessy BT. New Roles for Vitamin D Superagonists: From COVID to Cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:644298. [PMID: 33868174 PMCID: PMC8045760 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.644298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D is a potent steroid hormone that induces widespread changes in gene expression and controls key biological pathways. Here we review pathophysiology of vitamin D with particular reference to COVID-19 and pancreatic cancer. Utility as a therapeutic agent is limited by hypercalcemic effects and attempts to circumvent this problem have used vitamin D superagonists, with increased efficacy and reduced calcemic effect. A further caveat is that vitamin D mediates multiple diverse effects. Some of these (anti-fibrosis) are likely beneficial in patients with COVID-19 and pancreatic cancer, whereas others (reduced immunity), may be beneficial through attenuation of the cytokine storm in patients with advanced COVID-19, but detrimental in pancreatic cancer. Vitamin D superagonists represent an untapped resource for development of effective therapeutic agents. However, to be successful this approach will require agonists with high cell-tissue specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Easty
- Department of Medical Oncology, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Ireland
| | - Christine J. Farr
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan T. Hennessy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Oncology, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Ireland
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14
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Abiri R, Atabaki N, Sanusi R, Malik S, Abiri R, Safa P, Shukor NAA, Abdul-Hamid H. New Insights into the Biological Properties of Eucalyptus-Derived Essential Oil: A Promising Green Anti-Cancer Drug. FOOD REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2021.1877300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rambod Abiri
- Department of Forestry Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Narges Atabaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Ruzana Sanusi
- Department of Forestry Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
- Laboratory of Bioresource Management, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Sonia Malik
- Health Science Graduate Program, Biological & Health Sciences Centre, Federal University of Maranhao, Sao Luis, MA, Brazil
| | - Ramin Abiri
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Parastoo Safa
- Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Nor Aini Ab Shukor
- Department of Forestry Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
- Laboratory of Bioresource Management, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
| | - Hazandy Abdul-Hamid
- Department of Forestry Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
- Laboratory of Bioresource Management, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang DE 43400 UPM, Malaysia
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15
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Kane S, Engelhart A, Guadagno J, Jones A, Usoro I, Brutcher E. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Characteristics of Tumor Microenvironment and Barriers to Treatment. J Adv Pract Oncol 2021; 11:693-698. [PMID: 33575066 PMCID: PMC7646635 DOI: 10.6004/jadpro.2020.11.7.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains a highly aggressive disease, with a 5-year relative survival rate of 10%. Numerous barriers to treatment exist, such as dense desmoplasia, infiltration of immune suppressor cells, inhibitory cytokines, low effector T-cell infiltration, and low tumor mutational burden. These factors help form a highly suppressive tumor microenvironment unique to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This review outlines barriers to treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by discussing the unique characteristics of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and the factors that contribute to making pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma such a challenging disease to treat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujata Kane
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Anne Engelhart
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jessica Guadagno
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Aaron Jones
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Innis Usoro
- Department of Research, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Edith Brutcher
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Emory Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
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16
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Takahashi R, Macchini M, Sunagawa M, Jiang Z, Tanaka T, Valenti G, Renz BW, White RA, Hayakawa Y, Westphalen CB, Tailor Y, Iuga AC, Gonda TA, Genkinger J, Olive KP, Wang TC. Interleukin-1β-induced pancreatitis promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via B lymphocyte-mediated immune suppression. Gut 2021; 70:330-341. [PMID: 32393543 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Long-standing chronic pancreatitis is an established risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) has been associated in PDAC with shorter survival. We employed murine models to investigate the mechanisms by which IL-1β and chronic pancreatitis might contribute to PDAC progression. DESIGN We crossed LSL-Kras+/G12D;Pdx1-Cre (KC) mice with transgenic mice overexpressing IL-1β to generate KC-IL1β mice, and followed them longitudinally. We used pancreatic 3D in vitro culture to assess acinar-to-ductal metaplasia formation. Immune cells were analysed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical staining. B lymphocytes were adoptively transferred or depleted in Kras-mutant mice. B-cell infiltration was analysed in human PDAC samples. RESULTS KC-IL1β mice developed PDAC with liver metastases. IL-1β treatment increased Kras+/G12D pancreatic spheroid formation. CXCL13 expression and B lymphocyte infiltration were increased in KC-IL1β pancreata. Adoptive transfer of B lymphocytes from KC-IL1β mice promoted tumour formation, while depletion of B cells prevented tumour progression in KC-IL1β mice. B cells isolated from KC-IL1β mice had much higher expression of PD-L1, more regulatory B cells, impaired CD8+ T cell activity and promoted tumorigenesis. IL-35 was increased in the KC-IL1β pancreata, and depletion of IL-35 decreased the number of PD-L1+ B cells. Finally, in human PDAC samples, patients with PDAC with higher B-cell infiltration within tumours showed significantly shorter survival. CONCLUSION We show here that IL-1β promotes tumorigenesis in part by inducing an expansion of immune-suppressive B cells. These findings point to the growing significance of B suppressor cells in pancreatic tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Takahashi
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marina Macchini
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Masaki Sunagawa
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zhengyu Jiang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Takayuki Tanaka
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Giovanni Valenti
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bernhard W Renz
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ruth A White
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yoku Hayakawa
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - C Benedikt Westphalen
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hospital of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Yagnesh Tailor
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alina C Iuga
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tamas A Gonda
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeanine Genkinger
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kenneth P Olive
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
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17
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Nephew KP. Turning Up the Heat on the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment by Epigenetic Priming. Cancer Res 2021; 80:4610-4611. [PMID: 33144295 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The study by Gonda and colleagues, in this issue of Cancer Research, represents the first combinatorial approach based on epigenetic therapy priming to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. The authors show that treatment with a DNA hypomethylating agent causes profound changes in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment, including increased numbers of tumor-infiltrating T cells, elevated IFN signaling, and immune checkpoint expression, as well as increased antigen presentation in tumor cells. Accordingly, they show that the combination of decitabine plus immune checkpoint blockade effectively restores antitumor immunity and results in a significant survival benefit in a widely accepted mouse model of pancreatic cancer. The study provides evidence for a new therapeutic approach for pancreatic cancer having antitumor efficacy through modulation of the immune suppressive microenvironment, leading to an increased response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. As the incidence of pancreatic cancer continues to increase, new treatment strategies for this devastating disease are urgently needed. Gonda and colleagues provide preclinical proof of concept for a new therapeutic strategy and address an unmet need for this difficult to treat disease.See related article by Gonda et al., p. 4754.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth P Nephew
- Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, Indiana. .,Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
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18
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Yu S, Zhang C, Xie KP. Therapeutic resistance of pancreatic cancer: Roadmap to its reversal. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2020; 1875:188461. [PMID: 33157162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with limited opportunity for resectable surgery as the first choice for cure due to its late diagnosis and early metastasis. The desmoplastic stroma and cellular genetic or epigenetic alterations of pancreatic cancer impose physical and biological barriers to effective therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Here, we review the current therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer, and underlying mechanisms and potential reversal of therapeutic resistance, a hallmark of this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital Affiliated to the South China University of Technology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital Affiliated to the South China University of Technology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke-Ping Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital Affiliated to the South China University of Technology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Gonda TA, Fang J, Salas M, Do C, Hsu E, Zhukovskaya A, Siegel A, Takahashi R, Lopez-Bujanda ZA, Drake CG, Manji GA, Wang TC, Olive KP, Tycko B. A DNA Hypomethylating Drug Alters the Tumor Microenvironment and Improves the Effectiveness of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in a Mouse Model of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Res 2020; 80:4754-4767. [PMID: 32816859 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer that has proven refractory to immunotherapy. Previously, treatment with the DNA hypomethylating drug decitabine (5-aza-dC; DAC) extended survival in the KPC-Brca1 mouse model of PDAC. Here we investigated the effects of DAC in the original KPC model and tested combination therapy with DAC followed by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Four protocols were tested: PBS vehicle, DAC, ICI (anti-PD-1 or anti-VISTA), and DAC followed by ICI. For each single-agent and combination treatment, tumor growth was measured by serial ultrasound, tumor-infiltrating lymphoid and myeloid cells were characterized, and overall survival was assessed. Single-agent DAC led to increased CD4+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), PD1 expression, and tumor necrosis while slowing tumor growth and modestly increasing mouse survival without systemic toxicity. RNA-sequencing of DAC-treated tumors revealed increased expression of Chi3l3 (Ym1), reflecting an increase in a subset of tumor-infiltrating M2-polarized macrophages. While ICI alone had modest effects, DAC followed by either of ICI therapies additively inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. The best results were obtained using DAC followed by anti-PD-1, which extended mean survival from 26 to 54 days (P < 0.0001). In summary, low-dose DAC inhibits tumor growth and increases both TILs and a subset of tumor-infiltrating M2-polarized macrophages in the KPC model of PDAC, and DAC followed by anti-PD-1 substantially prolongs survival. Because M2-polarized macrophages are predicted to antagonize antitumor effects, targeting these cells may be important to enhance the efficacy of combination therapy with DAC plus ICI. SIGNIFICANCE: In a pancreatic cancer model, a DNA hypomethylating drug increases tumor-infiltrating effector T cells, increases a subset of M2 macrophages, and significantly prolongs survival in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.See related commentary by Nephew, p. 4610.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas A Gonda
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York. .,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Jarwei Fang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Martha Salas
- Division of Genetics & Epigenetics, Hackensack-Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, New Jersey
| | - Catherine Do
- Division of Genetics & Epigenetics, Hackensack-Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, Nutley, New Jersey
| | - Emily Hsu
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Anna Zhukovskaya
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Ariel Siegel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Ryota Takahashi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Zoila A Lopez-Bujanda
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.,Graduate Program in Pathobiology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Charles G Drake
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Gulam A Manji
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Kenneth P Olive
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.,Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Benjamin Tycko
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, New York University, New York, New York. .,John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey.,Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C
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20
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Basics and Frontiers on Pancreatic Cancer for Radiation Oncology: Target Delineation, SBRT, SIB technique, MRgRT, Particle Therapy, Immunotherapy and Clinical Guidelines. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071729. [PMID: 32610592 PMCID: PMC7407382 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer represents a modern oncological urgency. Its management is aimed to both distal and local disease control. Resectability is the cornerstone of treatment aim. It influences the clinical presentation’s definitions as up-front resectable, borderline resectable and locally advanced (unresectable). The main treatment categories are neoadjuvant (preoperative), definitive and adjuvant (postoperative). This review will focus on (i) the current indications by the available national and international guidelines; (ii) the current standard indications for target volume delineation in radiotherapy (RT); (iii) the emerging modern technologies (including particle therapy and Magnetic Resonance [MR]-guided-RT); (iv) stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), as the most promising technical delivery application of RT in this framework; (v) a particularly promising dose delivery technique called simultaneous integrated boost (SIB); and (vi) a multimodal integration opportunity: the combination of RT with immunotherapy.
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21
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Banerjee S, Dudeja V, Saluja A. Unconventional T Cells in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment: Thinking Outside the Box. Cancer Discov 2019; 9:1164-1166. [PMID: 31481406 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unlike conventional MHC-reactive T cells, unconventional T cells have emerged as an abundant component of the human immune system because of their role in tumor immunology. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Hundeyin and colleagues have identified a population of unconventional T cells in pancreatic tumors that can reprogram the immune evasive components of the tumor to promote immunogenicity and thus are critical for the development of novel cell-based therapy in pancreatic cancer.See related article by Hundeyin et al., p. 1288.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulagna Banerjee
- Department of Surgery and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Vikas Dudeja
- Department of Surgery and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Ashok Saluja
- Department of Surgery and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
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22
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He Y, Liu ZX, Jiang ZH, Wang XS. Identification of genomic features associated with immunotherapy response in gastrointestinal cancers. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2019; 11:270-280. [PMID: 31040893 PMCID: PMC6475671 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i4.270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers prevail and account for an extremely high number of cancer deaths worldwide. The traditional treatment strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy, have a limited therapeutic effect for advanced GI cancers. Recently, immunotherapy has shown promise in treating various refractory malignancies, including the GI cancers with mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) or microsatellite instability (MSI). Thus, immunotherapy could be a promising treatment approach for GI cancers. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of GI cancer patients currently respond to immunotherapy. Therefore, it is important to discover predictive biomarkers for stratifying GI cancer patients response to immunotherapy. Certain genomic features, such as dMMR/MSI, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and tumor aneuploidy have been associated with tumor immunity and im-munotherapy response and may serve as predictive biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we examined the correlations between tumor immunity and three genomic features: dMMR/MSI, TMB, and tumor aneuploidy. We also explored their correlations using The Cancer Genome Atlas data and confirmed that the dMMR/MSI status, high TMB, and low tumor aneuploidy are associated with elevated tumor immunity in GI cancers. To improve the immunotherapeutic potential in GI cancers, more genetic or genomic features associated with tumor immune response need to be identified. Furthermore, it is worth exploring the combination of different immunotherapeutic methods and the combination of immunotherapy with other therapeutic approaches for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin He
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhi-Xian Liu
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ze-Hang Jiang
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Sheng Wang
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu Province, China
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Mu W, Wang Z, Zöller M. Ping-Pong-Tumor and Host in Pancreatic Cancer Progression. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1359. [PMID: 31921628 PMCID: PMC6927459 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the main cause of high pancreatic cancer (PaCa) mortality and trials dampening PaCa mortality rates are not satisfying. Tumor progression is driven by the crosstalk between tumor cells, predominantly cancer-initiating cells (CIC), and surrounding cells and tissues as well as distant organs, where tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (TEX) are of major importance. A strong stroma reaction, recruitment of immunosuppressive leukocytes, perineural invasion, and early spread toward the peritoneal cavity, liver, and lung are shared with several epithelial cell-derived cancer, but are most prominent in PaCa. Here, we report on the state of knowledge on the PaCIC markers Tspan8, alpha6beta4, CD44v6, CXCR4, LRP5/6, LRG5, claudin7, EpCAM, and CD133, which all, but at different steps, are engaged in the metastatic cascade, frequently via PaCIC-TEX. This includes the contribution of PaCIC markers to TEX biogenesis, targeting, and uptake. We then discuss PaCa-selective features, where feedback loops between stromal elements and tumor cells, including distorted transcription, signal transduction, and metabolic shifts, establish vicious circles. For the latter particularly pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) are responsible, furnishing PaCa to cope with poor angiogenesis-promoted hypoxia by metabolic shifts and direct nutrient transfer via vesicles. Furthermore, nerves including Schwann cells deliver a large range of tumor cell attracting factors and Schwann cells additionally support PaCa cell survival by signaling receptor binding. PSC, tumor-associated macrophages, and components of the dysplastic stroma contribute to perineural invasion with signaling pathway activation including the cholinergic system. Last, PaCa aggressiveness is strongly assisted by the immune system. Although rich in immune cells, only immunosuppressive cells and factors are recovered in proximity to tumor cells and hamper effector immune cells entering the tumor stroma. Besides a paucity of immunostimulatory factors and receptors, immunosuppressive cytokines, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T-cells, and M2 macrophages as well as PSC actively inhibit effector cell activation. This accounts for NK cells of the non-adaptive and cytotoxic T-cells of the adaptive immune system. We anticipate further deciphering the molecular background of these recently unraveled intermingled phenomena may turn most lethal PaCa into a curatively treatable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Mu
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Mu
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong, Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Margot Zöller
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong, Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
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