Scientists Discover Immune Cells Secretly Helping Pancreatic Cancer Hide From Defenses

A broader patient study

The study, published in Cancer Research, was led by Nina Steele, an assistant professor in UC’s College of Medicine and a Cancer Center member. Howard Crawford, scientific director of the Henry Ford + Michigan State University Pancreatic Cancer Center, collaborated on the work.

Steele said earlier data did not accurately reflect all patients affected by the disease. She described the research as a large-scale multiomic effort examining tens of thousands of biological markers across a diverse group of pancreatic cancer patients.

Differences in immune cells

Pancreatic cancer incidence and survival vary among American populations. Black African Americans are 20% more likely to develop the disease, according to the article. When researchers compared tumor samples from Black and non-African American patients, they found differences in B cells. These cells were more abundant and more immunosuppressive in samples from Black patients, dampening the body’s natural immune response against cancer.

Potential treatment clues

Researchers also found distinct molecular signatures in the cancer cells of the two groups. RAS inhibitors target proteins involved in cell growth, but the study does not establish how the observed differences affect treatment or outcomes.

Further research is needed to explain the mechanisms behind the findings. The results could eventually help identify new pancreatic cancer subtypes and support more personalized treatment approaches, as has happened in breast and prostate cancer.