title: FAK-inhibition opens the door to checkpoint immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer.
abstract: Immunotherapy has had remarkable success in the treatment of some cancer types. However, pancreatic cancer has remained largely refractory to immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Recently, Jiang and colleagues identified a key role for FAK in regulating the composition of the fibrotic and immuno-suppressive pancreatic tumour niche, and showed that FAK inhibitors can be used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade and gemcitabine chemotherapy to significantly delay pancreatic tumour progression. This study further supports the use of FAK inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR UK.
authors.forename: Stefan N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Symeonides
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ UK.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Anderton
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ UK.|Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4992-6077
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1
keywords: Checkpoint blockade; FAK; Immunotherapy; Pancreatic cancer