The tumor stroma influences immune cell distribution and recruitment in a PDAC-on-a-chip model.

The dense tumor stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its secreted immune active molecules provide a barrier for chemotherapy treatment as well as for immune cell infiltration to the tumor core, providing a challenge for immunotherapeutic strategies. Consequently, the investigation of processes underlying the interaction between the tumor stroma, particularly activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), and immune cells may offer new therapeutic approaches for PDAC treatment. In this study, we established a 3D PDAC model cultured under flow, consisting of an endothelial tube, PSCs and PDAC organoids.

A microfluidic-based PDAC organoid system reveals the impact of hypoxia in response to treatment.

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is estimated to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030 with mortality rates of up to 93%. Standard of care chemotherapeutic treatment only prolongs the survival of patients for a short timeframe. Therefore, it is important to understand events driving treatment failure in PDAC as well as identify potential more effective treatment opportunities.