Abstract
The incidence of pancreatic cancer has been increasing while its 5-year survival rate has not changed in decades. In the era of personalized medicine, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment modality in a variety of malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. This review will discuss the unique pancreatic tumor microenvironment, including the cells and receptors that transform the pancreas from its normal architecture into a complex mix of suppressor immune cells and dense extracellular matrix that allows for the unrestricted growth of cancer cells. Next, we will highlight the recently completed immunotherapy clinical trials in pancreatic cancer. Finally, we will explore the on-going immunotherapy clinical trials and future directions of this engaging and changing field.
Highlights
Despite intensive research efforts to better understand its tumor microenvironment, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains dismal [1, 2]
This study demonstrated promising outcomes with an improvement of median overall survival (OS) compared to gemcitabine alone and one patient having a complete resolution of his liver metastases [68]
Despite the ongoing efforts outlined in this review, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains dismal
Summary
Despite intensive research efforts to better understand its tumor microenvironment, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains dismal [1, 2]. Effector immune cells Natural killer cells (NK) An increased number of NK cells have been shown to be associated with a better prognosis in a small set of 13 patients with pancreatic cancer [10], presumably due to their role in recognition and elimination of cancer cells. These glycoproteins have been shown to promote immune suppression in pancreatic cancer by promoting Th2 and T-reg transformation, restricting DC maturation and stimulating stellate cells [35, 36] Their association with survival in pancreatic cancer has been conflicting, with several studies showing increased concentration associated with decreased survival [37, 38], while others showed an association with improved outcomes [39].
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