Work

Disrupting a converging metabolic target turns up the immunologic-heat in pancreatic tumors

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are classically immunologically cold tumors that have failed to demonstrate a significant response to immunotherapeutic strategies. This feature is attributed to both the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and limited immune cell access due to the surrounding stromal barrier, a histological hallmark of PDACs. In this issue of the JCI, Sharma et al. employ a broad glutamine antagonist, 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), to target a metabolic program that underlies both PDAC growth and hyaluronan production. Their findings describe an approach to converting the PDAC TME into a hot TME, thereby empowering immunotherapeutic strategies such as anti-PD1 therapy.

Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation

DOI: 10.1172/jci133685

Authors: Won Jin Ho, Elizabeth M. Jaffee

Institutions: Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Incyte