Mitochondria-centric lipid metabolism and inter-organelle crosstalk in pancreatic Cancer: Unveiling novel therapies

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with poor therapeutic responses to conventional treatments, partly due to its unique proliferation and drug resistance. This review focuses on the lipid metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells, emphasizing the crosstalk between mitochondria and other organelles. It highlights the importance of cellular membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets, and mitochondria in lipid transportation and metabolism, which are crucial for energy supplementation and cell structure to resist chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. The review also discusses how these organelles interact to support the malignancy and suggests that lipid metabolism-regulating drugs targeting different organelles could overcome the resistance of treatments like gemcitabine. Moreover, it points out the role of mitochondrial and other organelles in the PD-L1 regulation of pancreatic cancer, indicating potential for novel therapeutic strategies.