Deciphering Molecular Complexity of Pancreatic Cancer
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 1248
Special Issue Editor
Interests: precision cancer medicine; precision immuno-oncoloy; precision oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pancreatic cancer, known for its insidious onset, aggressive nature and poor prognosis, remains one of the most challenging malignancies to diagnose and treat. With a 5-year survival rate of 12%, which has remained at this level for the past few years, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths within this decade. Even in patients treated with curative intent, recurrence rates remain very high (80-90%) despite surgical resection with standard neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. Minimal residual disease (MRD) and resistance to chemotherapy represent the main causes of treatment failure. At the heart of its elusive nature lies its staggering molecular complexity that underpins its diverse pathogenesis, heterogeneity, and resistance to therapeutic interventions. This Special Issue aims to delve into the intricate molecular landscape of pancreatic cancer, unraveling its complexities and exploring promising avenues for overcoming the clinical hurdles associated with this devastating disease.
Moreover, this Special Issue highlights emerging strategies and potential solutions to dissect the dynamics of intratumor components and complex interactions between the cancer cells and immune cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME) by integrating innovative high-precision multiomics technologies. From precision medicine approaches targeting specific genetic alterations and immunotherapy harnessing the power of the immune system to novel drug delivery systems designed to overcome tumor heterogeneity, plasticity, early micrometastasis and resistance to current standard therapy, we showcase the latest advances in this field. We also examine the role of basic research in advancing our understanding of pancreatic cancer biology and how these insights can inform the development of more effective and tailored therapies. We welcome contributions that span the breadth of pancreatic cancer research, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and stimulating models to translate novel ideas into decision-making processes for early diagnosis and multimodal treatment; this is possible via the development of novel frameworks of tumor and liquid biopsy-based biomarkers to guide meaningful therapy, including next-generation immune checkpoint inhibitors and mRNA vaccines.
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios H. Roukos
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- pancreatic cancer
- intratumor heterogeneity
- bulk and single-cell multiomics
- tumor microenvironment
- cancer immunotherapy
- targeted therapy
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