title: Intratumoral mast cells promote the growth of pancreatic cancer.
abstract: We have recently discovered that mast cells promote pancreatic tumorigenesis by exacerbating the cellular and extracellular signaling in the desmoplastic microenvironment. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that targeting mast cells can block the progression of pancreatic neoplasms and prolong the survival of tumor-bearing immunocompetent hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA ; Center for Cancer Immunology Research; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA ; Center for Cancer Immunology Research; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, TX USA ; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston; Houston, TX USA.
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ullrich
keywords: mast cells; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic stellate cells; tumor microenvironment