Tumor tough, therapy smarter: Rethinking CAR-T for pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has changed how we treat blood cancers but hasn't worked as well for solid tumors like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), mainly because these tumors are very aggressive and resistant to regular treatments. This review critically examines peer-reviewed studies to chart the evolution of immunotherapy in PDAC, emphasizing the unique barriers to effective CAR T-cell treatment and emerging strategies to overcome them. CAR T-cells that focus on tumor-related markers like mesothelin, HER2, and MUC1 have shown promise in early research models. However, clinical translation is hampered by obstacles such as a dense desmoplastic stroma that restricts T-cell infiltration, antigenic heterogeneity that promotes immune escape, and adverse effects including cytokine release syndrome. Recent innovations include dual-antigen targeting CARs (eg, CEA/MSLN), metabolic reprogramming to enhance T-cell function in nutrient-deprived tumor microenvironments, and stromal-targeting approaches such as fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-specific CARs and heparanase overexpression. Safety enhancements - such as reversible CAR inhibition using Dasatinib and GM-CSF neutralization - are also being explored to mitigate toxicity. Collectively, these advances represent promising strides toward enhancing the efficacy and safety of CAR T-cell therapy for pancreatic cancer. Ongoing research continues to identify new strategies to further refine these therapies, including the exploration of combination treatments with checkpoint inhibitors and novel immunomodulatory agents. As our understanding of the tumor microenvironment deepens, the potential for personalized approaches to CAR T-cell therapy may unlock even greater therapeutic benefits for patients.