title: Role of hyaluronan in pancreatic cancer biology and therapy: Once again in the spotlight.
abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the most deadly disease worldwide, with the lowest survival rate among all cancer types. Recent evidence suggests that hyaluronan (HA), a major component of ECM, provides a favorable microenvironment for cancer progression. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is typically characterized by a dense desmoplastic stroma containing a large amount of HA. Accumulation of HA promotes tumor growth in mice and correlates with poor prognosis in patients with PDAC. Because HA is involved in various malignant behaviors of cancer (such as increased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance), inhibiting HA synthesis/signaling or depleting HA in tumor stroma could represent a promising therapeutic strategy against PDAC. In this review article, we summarize our current understanding of the role of HA in the progression of PDAC and discuss possible therapeutic approaches targeting HA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery 1, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery 1, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery 1, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goggins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid
keywords: Desmoplasia; hyaluronan; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; tumor stroma; tumor-stroma interaction