Publications by authors named "Kristee L Brown"
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) continues to have a dismal prognosis. The poor survival of patients with PDA has been attributed to a high rate of early metastasis and low efficacy of current therapies, which partly result from its complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Previous studies from our group and others have shown that tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are instrumental in maintaining immunosuppression in PDA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) continues to have a dismal prognosis. The poor survival of patients with PDA has been attributed to a high rate of early metastasis and low efficacy of current therapies, which partly result from its complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Previous studies from our group and others have shown that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are instrumental in maintaining immunosuppression in PDA.
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- Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is linked to WNT signaling activation, which influences the tumor microenvironment.
- Single-cell RNA sequencing of human pancreatic cancer revealed that CD4+ T cells in the tumors express TCF7, affecting immune responses.
- Inhibiting WNT signaling and using a PD-L1 blocker in combination showed promising results in reducing tumor growth, suggesting a potential new treatment approach for PDA.
Article Synopsis
- Oncogenic KRAS is a key mutation in pancreatic cancer that not only affects tumor cells but also influences the surrounding tumor microenvironment, which remains poorly understood.
- In this study, researchers used genetically engineered mice and advanced techniques like mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate how oncogenic KRAS impacts pancreatic fibroblasts.
- Findings reveal that KRAS signaling reprograms fibroblasts to become active players in inflammation, enhancing protumorigenic macrophage activity and hindering tissue repair, opening doors for potential therapeutic strategies targeting these stromal pathways.
Regulatory T cells (Treg) are abundant in human and mouse pancreatic cancer. To understand the contribution to the immunosuppressive microenvironment, we depleted Tregs in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Contrary to our expectations, Treg depletion failed to relieve immunosuppression and led to accelerated tumor progression.
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