Current and future immunotherapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer treatment
Efficacy of immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is limited by a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of cancer‑related death, yet its outlook remains grim due to late detection and limited responsiveness to conventional therapy. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but its effectiveness is hampered by an immunosuppressive, fibrotic tumor microenvironment. This review surveys the current landscape of immunotherapeutic modalities in PDAC, including oncolytic viruses, engineered T‑cell and NK‑cell therapies, cytokine‑induced killer cells, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), immunomodulators, cancer vaccines, and strategies targeting myeloid cells. It also discusses emerging approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and microbiome modulation, and highlights the challenges that must be overcome to achieve durable clinical benefit.
Progress in treating pancreatic cancer is crucial because it is one of the most lethal malignancies; understanding the obstacles to immunotherapy may guide development of more effective treatments.
Evidence level: Állatkísérletes. Állatmodellben vizsgálták.