The Role of Bile Acids in Pancreatic Cancer

Bile acids are well known to promote the digestion and absorption of fat, and at the same time, they play an important role in lipid and glucose metabolism. More studies have found that bile acids such as ursodeoxycholic acid also have anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effects. Bile acids have been extensively studied in biliary and intestinal tumors but less in pancreatic cancer. Patients with pancreatic cancer, especially pancreatic head cancer, are often accompanied by biliary obstruction and elevated bile acids caused by tumors. Elevated total bile acid levels in pancreatic cancer patients usually have a poor prognosis. There has been controversy over whether elevated bile acids are harmful or beneficial to pancreatic cancer. Still, there is no doubt that bile acids are important for the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer. This article summarizes the research on bile acid as a biomarker and regulation of the occurrence, development and chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer, hoping to provide some inspiration for future research.