A potential new strategy for overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer and other tumours

Cellular and immunotherapies are currently either ineffective or only partially effective in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Researchers at LMU Munich had discovered that this is due, amongst other things, to a specific signalling molecule, prostaglandin, which is released by both cancer cells and their surrounding environment. With funding of 177,000 euros from the Wilhelm Sander Foundation, Sebastian Kobold’s research group has now developed a potential strategy for selectively switching off this signalling pathway. Using gene scissors, the scientists have now been able to block the effect of prostaglandins in cellular therapies, which could potentially make immunotherapies feasible for this disease as well.