Immunotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

J Surg Oncol. 2021 Mar;123(3):751-759. doi: 10.1002/jso.26312.

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a lethal cancer with an urgent need for better medical therapies. Efforts have been made to investigate the efficacy of immunotherapy, particularly given the hallmarks of immune suppression and exhaustion in PDAC tumors. Here, we review the molecular components responsible for the immune-privileged state in PDAC and provide an overview of the immunotherapeutic strategies for PDAC including vaccine therapy, checkpoint blockade, myeloid-targeted therapy, and immune agonist therapy.

Keywords: immunotherapy; microenvironment; pancreatic cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / immunology
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / therapy*
  • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
  • Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
  • Humans
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors