Open AccessRole of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer
Author(s) -
Murakami Takashi,
Hiroshima Yukihiko,
Matsuyama Ryusei,
Homma Yuki,
Hoffman Robert M.,
Endo Itaru
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
annals of gastroenterological surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.308
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 2475-0328
DOI - 10.1002/ags3.12225
Subject(s) - pancreatic cancer , stromal cell , tumor microenvironment , stroma , immune system , metastasis , cancer research , cancer , disease , medicine , cancer cell , biology , immunology , pathology , immunohistochemistry
Pancreatic cancer remains a highly recalcitrant disease despite the development of systemic chemotherapies. New treatment options are thus urgently required. Dense stromal formation, so‐called “desmoplastic stroma,” plays controversial roles in terms of pancreatic cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis. Cells such as cancer‐associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune cells comprise the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is considered an immune‐quiescent disease, but activation of immunological response in pancreatic cancer may contribute to favorable outcomes. Herein, we review the role of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer, with a focus on immunological aspects.