Targeting pancreatic stellate cells to improve pancreatic cancer radiosensitivity

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the second most frequent digestive tumour after colorectal cancer, and its incidence is increasing. At present, PDAC is the fourth commonest cause of cancer-related death in developed countries, and it is likely to move up to the second place by 2030 (1). Currently, the 5-year survival rate is quoted at 5–7%, with no significant change over the last 10 years. One of reasons why PDAC remains therapeutically challenging is its inherent resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy (2). Research efforts are being made to understand the biological mechanisms involved in aggressive nature of PDAC and to develop therapies to improve the clinical outcomes.