Reprogramming Tumor Microenvironment Could Improve Prospects for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Researchers identify molecular target to improve pancreatic cancer treatment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers. One reason for its resistance to therapy is the dense tissue surrounding the tumor, which acts as a protective barrier and suppresses the immune response.

Reprogramming tumor microenvironment could improve prospects for treatment of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers. One reason for its resistance to therapy is the dense tissue surrounding the tumor that acts as a protective barrier and suppresses the immune response. It is a complex tissue made of supporting cells, blood vessels and immune cells—the tumor microenvironment. In pancreatic cancer, this surrounding tissue accounts for up to 90% of the tumor mass.

Blocking CD44 Reprograms Support Cells in Pancreatic Tumors

KIT-led researchers show that inactivating the CD44 molecule reprograms tumor-promoting fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer, reducing fibrosis and immunosuppression and shrinking tumors in a mouse model.

Pancreatic Cancer: Researchers Reprogram the Tumor Microenvironment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers. One reason for its resistance to therapy is the dense tissue surrounding the tumor, which acts as a protective barrier and suppresses the immune response. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now identified a molecular mechanism that regulates this tumor-supporting environment. At the heart of this mechanism is CD44, a molecule that controls the behavior of cancer-associated fibroblasts, sp