Combination Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death with a median survival time of 6-12 months. As most patients present with advanced disease, the majority are managed solely through palliative chemotherapy. While select chemotherapies improve overall survival, nearly all patients will eventually progress on treatment. In our recent study, we determined that long-term chemotherapy leads to significant changes to the immunogenicity of pancreatic tumors, and sensitizes mice to multi-drug immunotherapy. In the corresponding image, we show tumor tissue of a mouse treated with a combination of chemo and immunotherapy stained by immunofluorescence. Specifically, tissues have been stained for Cytokeratin 19 (Green), a duct marker that will react with cancer cells, and Granzyme B (Red), a marker of cells being destroyed by the immune system. This image is indicative of a pronounced anti-cancer immune response, and suggests that the combination of chemo and immunotherapy may warrant therapeutic consideration in PDAC.