Targeting gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly and incurable human cancers. Late detection, widespread metastases and chemotherapy resistance worsen its prognosis to 5-year survival rate of 90%) type of pancreatic cancer is Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Despite extensive genetic and molecular characterization of PDAC over the last decades, its therapeutic targeting remains an unmet challenge. Surgery offers minimal benefits because many patients are not eligible for tumour resection (2). Gemcitabine—the frontline chemotherapy—is not very effective as pancreatic cancer patients are either de novo resistant or rapidly acquire resistance to gemcitabine treatment. Despite the limited therapeutic efficacy and pitfalls of gemcitabine, it is still the standard of care in pancreatic cancer. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms of gemcitabine resistance and identify drug targets either alone or in combination with chemotherapy to enhance the clinical response and improve survival in pancreatic cancer patients.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)