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Immunotherapeutic strategies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): current perspectives and future prospects

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Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the deadliest human malignancies with a dismal prognosis. During PDAC progression, the immune response is affected as cancer cells evade detection and elimination. Recently, there have been advances in the treatment of PDAC using immunotherapy, although a lot more work is yet to be done. In this review, we discuss these advances, challenges and potentials. We focus on existing and potential immune targets for PDAC, drugs used to target them, and some clinical trials conducted so far with them. Finally, novel targets in the tumour microenvironment such as stromal cells and other potential future areas to explore including bacterial therapy and the use of neoantigens in immunotherapy are highlighted.

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Funding

The review was supported by the South African Medical Research Council grant awarded to Wits Common Epithelial Cancer Research group. Geoffrey Candy is funded by the Cancer Association of South Africa. Miss Zanele Nsingwane thanks the National Research Foundation for a bursary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa

    Zanele Nsingwane, Geoffrey Candy, John Devar, Jones Omoshoro-Jones, Martin Smith & Ekene Nweke

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  1. Zanele Nsingwane
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  2. Geoffrey Candy
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  3. John Devar
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  4. Jones Omoshoro-Jones
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  5. Martin Smith
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  6. Ekene Nweke
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Correspondence to Zanele Nsingwane.

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Nsingwane, Z., Candy, G., Devar, J. et al. Immunotherapeutic strategies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): current perspectives and future prospects. Mol Biol Rep 47, 6269–6280 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05648-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05648-4

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