Immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer, a new hope

Intervista a Gregory B. Lesinski By 4 Dicembre 2025No Comments
Dai congressi

IL-6 is elevated in patients with pancreatic cancer, suggesting this cytokine plays a role in blunting T cell immunity. However, Abs that neutralize IL-6 have not been effective as single agents in patients with PDAC tumors. Moreover, blockade of CTLA-4 has limited efficacy as a single agent in this aggressive disease. But the team of Gregory B. Lesinski (vice chair for basic research in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, Winship Cancer Institute’s associate director for basic research and shared resources) found that combined blockade of these targets elicits potent antitumor activity in 3 different pancreatic tumor models: s.c. MT5, orthotopic KPC-luc, and orthotopic Panc02 pancreatic tumors. Is this – finally – the right direction to take for immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer? We interviewed Gregory B. Lesinski during the Immunotherapy Bridge 2025 congress in Naples.