Context Matters—Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Sankarasubramanian S, Pfohl U, Regenbrecht CRA, Reinhard C, Wedeken L (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology Frontiers Media

Book Volume: 9

Article Number: 760705

DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.760705

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and remains a major unsolved health problem. While pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with driver mutations in only four major genes (KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, and CDKN2A), every tumor differs in its molecular landscape, histology, and prognosis. It is crucial to understand and consider these differences to be able to tailor treatment regimens specific to the vulnerabilities of the individual tumor to enhance patient outcome. This review focuses on the heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor cells and how in addition to genetic alterations, the subsequent dysregulation of multiple signaling cascades at various levels, epigenetic and metabolic factors contribute to the oncogenesis of PDAC and compensate for each other in driving cancer progression if one is tackled by a therapeutic approach. This implicates that besides the need for new combinatorial therapies for PDAC, a personalized approach for treating this highly complex cancer is required. A strategy that combines both a target-based and phenotypic approach to identify an effective treatment, like Reverse Clinical Engineering® using patient-derived organoids, is discussed as a promising way forward in the field of personalized medicine to tackle this deadly disease.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sushmitha Sankarasubramanian Professur für Chirurgische Forschung

Involved external institutions

ASC Oncology DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Sankarasubramanian, S., Pfohl, U., Regenbrecht, C.R.A., Reinhard, C., & Wedeken, L. (2021). Context Matters—Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.760705

MLA:

Sankarasubramanian, Sushmitha, et al. "Context Matters—Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer." Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 9 (2021).

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