Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
06:21

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 19, 2019

12.2K

Novel agents for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: emerging therapeutics and future directions

Yiyin Zhang1,2,3,4, Chao Yang1,2,3,4, He Cheng1,2,3,4

  • 1Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No. 270 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.

Journal of Hematology & Oncology
|February 2, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) outcomes remain poor due to chemoresistance. Emerging novel therapies and combination treatments offer new hope for improving patient survival and treatment selection.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a dismal prognosis, largely unchanged over 30 years, primarily due to chemoresistance.
  • Current standard treatments involving surgery and chemo(radiation)therapy, often using gemcitabine or 5-fluorouracil, yield unsatisfactory outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current challenges and emerging strategies in treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
  • To highlight novel therapeutic approaches and the role of biomarkers in improving PDAC patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of preclinical and clinical studies on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treatments.
  • Analysis of emerging therapeutic strategies targeting cancer cells, tumor microenvironment, and immunosuppression.
  • Examination of biomarker discovery for treatment outcome prediction and patient selection.

Main Results:

  • Established chemotherapy regimens show limited efficacy against PDAC.
  • Novel therapeutic agents and combination therapies are under investigation.
  • Biomarker research is crucial for personalized treatment selection and outcome prediction.

Conclusions:

  • Despite decades of research, PDAC prognosis remains poor, necessitating innovative treatment paradigms.
  • Emerging therapies targeting cancer cells, the tumor microenvironment, and immune suppression show promise.
  • Combination therapies integrating conventional chemotherapy with novel agents may significantly improve outcomes for PDAC patients.
Keywords:
BiomarkersCombination therapiesNovel regimensPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Reprogramming Cancer Cells to iPSCs to Study Disease Progression and Treatment Targets07:08

Author Spotlight: Reprogramming Cancer Cells to iPSCs to Study Disease Progression and Treatment Targets

Published on: February 2, 2024

1.5K
Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line06:24

Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line

Published on: April 11, 2025

950

Related Concept Videos

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists have many therapeutic uses in various medical fields. Choline esters, including acetylcholine, have limited clinical utility due to their non-selectivity and short duration of action. Still, acetylcholine and carbachol are applied topically during ophthalmologic surgery to induce miosis. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic and ganglionic stimulator, effectively treats open-angle glaucoma and alleviates xerostomia and dry mouth caused by radiotherapy or Sjögren...
1.8K
Adrenergic Agonists: Direct-Acting Agents01:30

Adrenergic Agonists: Direct-Acting Agents

Drugs that mimic the action of endogenous catecholamines like noradrenaline and adrenaline are called adrenergic agonists or sympathomimetics. Based on their mechanism of action, sympathomimetics can be classified as direct-, indirect-, or mixed-acting sympathomimetics. Direct-acting adrenergic agonists activate adrenoceptors without affecting presynaptic neurons, making them independent of neuronal catecholamine-depleting agents like reserpine and guanethidine.
These agents can be classified...
2.9K
Emerging Adulthood01:27

Emerging Adulthood

Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during...
757
Introduction Cardiac Emergencies01:30

Introduction Cardiac Emergencies

Cardiac emergencies are critical situations involving the heart that require immediate medical intervention to prevent severe complications or death. These emergencies often arise from underlying heart conditions that impair the heart's ability to function correctly.Types of Cardiac EmergenciesThe most common types of cardiac emergencies include Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac arrest, and heart failure.Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)...
383
Therapeutic Index01:13

Therapeutic Index

The therapeutic index of a drug is a key parameter in pharmacology that quantifies the relative safety of a drug by calculating the ratio between the dose that causes toxicity in half the population (50%) to the dose that proves to be effective for half the population (50%). It provides a spectrum of doses for a particular drug ranging from effective to potentially toxic. To illustrate, consider an anticoagulant agent like warfarin. It possesses a narrow window within its therapeutic index to...
7.0K
Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
596