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Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Cancer: 2nd Edition
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Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Cancer: 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 2618

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dorota Lubgan

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Guest Editor
Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsstr. 27, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: radiooncology; translational research; clinical trials; pancreatic cancer; supportive therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nathalie Britzen-Laurent

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Guest Editor
Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Translational Research Center, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: pancreatic cancer; translational research; therapeutic targets and novel interventional strategies; mechanisms of anti-tumor reactions; biomarkers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Benjamin Frey

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Guest Editor
Translational Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsstr. 27, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: radiotherapy; immunotherapy; vaccination; immune checkpoints; hyperthermia; tumor immunology; immunogenic cancer cell death; immunomonitoring; inflammatory and degenerative diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we would like to welcome contributions from various topics and different viewpoints on this research area.

In this Special Issue, we aim to cover all aspects of the current landscape of translational research in pancreatic cancer: prognostic and predictive biomarkers, molecular targeting, DNA damage and repair, targeted and immune therapies, and mechanisms of tumor defense.

Translational and basic approaches are welcome; immunological aspects in the pre-clinic as well as in the patient are desirable. Genetic approaches in prospective patient cohorts (e.g., within the ongoing clinical trials), which are translationally obtained, and the molecular characterization of tumor tissue for better treatment selection are also of interest.

We would like to gain insight into new preclinical strategies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, especially new targets for therapy or the avoidance of resistance to radiation and/or chemotherapy. Pure evaluations of existing cohorts are only accepted in exceptional cases. A translational approach should always be recognizable.

We are looking forward to receiving your submission.

Dr. Dorota Lubgan
Dr. Nathalie Britzen-Laurent
Dr. Benjamin Frey
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pancreatic cancer
  • translational research
  • therapeutic targets and novel interventional strategies
  • mechanisms of anti-tumor reactions
  • biomarkers

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 9167 KiB  
Article
Oncolytic Coxsackievirus B3 Strain PD-H Is Effective Against a Broad Spectrum of Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines and Induces a Growth Delay in Pancreatic KPC Cell Tumors In Vivo
by Anja Geisler, Babette Dieringer, Leslie Elsner, Robert Klopfleisch, Jens Kurreck and Henry Fechner
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(20), 11224; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252011224 - 18 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1381
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers globally, with limited success from existing therapies, including chemotherapies and immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A promising new approach is the use of oncolytic viruses (OV), a form [...] Read more.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers globally, with limited success from existing therapies, including chemotherapies and immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A promising new approach is the use of oncolytic viruses (OV), a form of immunotherapy that has been demonstrated clinical effectiveness in various cancers. Here we investigated the potential of the oncolytic coxsackievirus B3 strain (CVB3) PD-H as a new treatment for pancreatic cancer. In vitro, PD-H exhibited robust replication, as measured by plaque assays, and potent lytic activity, as assessed by XTT assays, in most pancreatic tumor cell lines, outperforming two other coxsackievirus strains tested, H3N-375/1TS and CVA21. Thus, H3N-375/1TS showed efficient replication and lytic efficiency in distinctly fewer tumor cell lines, while most tumor cells were resistant to CVA21. The oncolytic efficiency of the three OV largely correlated with mRNA expression levels of viral receptors and their ability to induce apoptosis, as measured by cleaved caspase 3/7 activity in the tumor cells. In a syngeneic mouse model with subcutaneous pancreatic tumors, intratumoral administration of PD-H significantly inhibited tumor growth but did not completely stop tumor progression. Importantly, no virus-related side effects were observed. Although pancreatic tumors respond to PD-H treatment, its therapeutic efficacy is limited. Combining PD-H with other treatments, such as those aiming at reducing the desmoplastic stroma which impedes viral infection and spread within the tumor, may enhance its efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Cancer: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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21 pages, 2185 KiB  
Review
State of the Art of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Comprehensive Systematic Review
by Elena Orlandi, Massimo Guasconi, Andrea Romboli, Mario Giuffrida, Ilaria Toscani, Elisa Anselmi, Rosa Porzio, Serena Madaro, Stefano Vecchia and Chiara Citterio
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2620; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062620 - 14 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the therapeutic landscape for several malignancies, but their efficacy in unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains uncertain. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICIs in this context, focusing on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival [...] Read more.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the therapeutic landscape for several malignancies, but their efficacy in unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains uncertain. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICIs in this context, focusing on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Scopus identified 34 eligible studies, including randomized controlled trials and observational cohorts. Quantitative synthesis involved 21 studies comprising 937 patients, with additional qualitative analyses on biomarker-driven subgroups and early-phase trials. The median OS across studies was 8.65 months, while the median PFS was 2.55 months. The ORR and DCR were 16.2% and 50.3%, respectively, with grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurring in 22% of patients. Promising outcomes were observed in MSI-H/dMMR populations, although these represented only 1–2% of cases. Combination strategies with chemotherapy demonstrated synergistic potential but lacked definitive evidence due to heterogeneity and the absence of phase III trials. ICIs showed a manageable toxicity profile, highlighting their feasibility in selected patients. Future research should focus on overcoming tumor microenvironment barriers and identifying biomarkers to optimize responsiveness and expand the applicability of ICIs in pancreatic cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Cancer: 2nd Edition)
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