Dual-hit strategy for therapeutic targeting of pancreatic cancer in patient-derived xenograft tumors
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ABSTRACT: Paracrine activation of pro-fibrotic sonic hedgehog (sHH) signaling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) results in stromal amplification that compromises tumor drug delivery, efficacy, and patient survival. Interdiction of sHH-mediated tumor-stroma crosstalk with smoothened inhibitors transiently increases tumor permeability and macromolecule delivery. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (DW-MR) imaging, we demonstrate in multiple patient-derived xenografts (PDX) that responders to short-term sHH inhibitor exposure show increased permeability with proportionate increases in tumor diffusivity. However, a subset of PDXs fails to respond. Responders show co-induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), elevated FGF drive, and distinctly higher nuclear localization of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR1). A pan-FGFR inhibitor (NVP-BGJ398) reverses EMT and nuclear FGFR1 accumulation without compromising the tumor priming effect. This dual-hit strategy of SMO and FGFR inhibition provides a clinically-translatable approach to compromise the profound impermeability of PDAC tumors. Furthermore, clinical deployment of DW-MR imaging could fulfill the essential clinical requirement for patient stratification
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE159334 | GEO | 2023/12/12
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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