Current status of biomarker and targeted nanoparticle development: The precision oncology approach for pancreatic cancer therapy

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality. The majority of pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed at the advanced stage with unresectable and drug resistant tumors. The new treatments with the combination of chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, and immunotherapy have shown modest effects on therapeutic efficacy and survival of the patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutic approaches targeting highly heterogeneous pancreatic cancer cells and tumor microenvironments. Recent advances in biomarker targeted cancer therapy and image-guided drug delivery and monitoring treatment response using multifunctional nanoparticles, also referred to as theranostic nanoparticles, offer a new opportunity of effective detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Increasing evidence from preclinical studies has shown the potential of applications of theranostic nanoparticles for designing precision oncology approaches for pancreatic cancer therapy. In this review, we provide an update on the current understanding and strategies for the development of targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer using nanoparticle drug carriers. We address issues concerning drug delivery barriers in stroma rich pancreatic cancer and the potential approaches to improve drug delivery efficiency, therapeutic responses and tumor imaging. Research results presented in this review suggest the development of an integrated therapy protocol through image-guided and targeted drug delivery and therapeutic effect monitoring as a promising precision oncology strategy for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Synergistic effect of a drug loaded electrospun patch and systemic chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer xenograft

“…To cure and control cancer, a variety of studies have been performed to develop new therapies and delivery methods for established therapies 31 – 34 . Understanding the oncologic characteristics, such as chemotherapy resistance and the frequency and site of recurrence/metastasis is essential to develop effective strategies.…”

Dermokine contributes to epithelial–mesenchymal transition through increased activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in pancreatic cancer

“…Accordingly, the prognosis for advanced pancreatic cancer remains very poor. Early metastasis and local invasion are the main reasons for the high mortality; approximately 85% of patients are diagnosed at an unresectable stage . Therefore, it is of high importance to identify novel biomarkers that would improve early diagnosis and therapeutic outcomes in pancreatic cancer.…”

Small Molecule KRAS Inhibitors: The Future for Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapy?

“…As well as a high rate of resistance to drug treatment, PDAC has the added complexity of impaired tissue drug delivery issues [42,43]. As pancreatic tumors are often late-stage solid tumors, they contain a thick stromal compartment, which can be difficult to perfuse [43]. These tumors also tend to adapt to the stressful microenvironment with a low blood supply and become less reliant on it [43].…”