title: Targeting CD44 as a novel therapeutic approach for treating pancreatic cancer recurrence.
abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extraordinarily lethal disease, which, despite a more or less efficient chemotherapeutic treatment, systematically displays a rapid and uncontrolled progression towards a fatal recurrence. Determining which cells give rise to such tumor recurrence is thus crucial before an improved therapeutics outcome can be envisaged for patients with PDAC. In this regard, we recently reported that following a standard chemotherapy for PDAC, a heterogeneous subpopulation of CD44+ cells proliferates and is responsible for tumor recurrence, as shown by almost all recurrent tumor cells becoming CD44+. We designed a strategy to eliminate these cells based on a weekly administration of an anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody to human PDAC-derived xenografts in mice. We demonstrate that xenografts, which were unresponsive to gemcitabine treatment, are however sensitive to this strategy. In conclusion, CD44 represents an efficient therapeutic target in patients with recurrent PDAC.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Maria Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Molejon
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France ; Hôpital Nord, Département de Chirurgie, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Juan Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Tellechea
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France ; Hôpital Nord, Département de Chirurgie, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moutardier
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France ; Hôpital Nord, Département de Gastroentérologie, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasmi
authors.affiliation: Hôpital de la Timone, Département de Chirurgie, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouaissi
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France ; Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Turrini
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France ; Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Delpero
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dusetti
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et echnologique de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iovanna
keywords: CD44; cancer stem cells; molecular targeting; pancreatic cancer; tumor recurrence