Table 1. Pathways under investigation in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
| Pathway | Mechanism | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Angiotensin II | Protein kinase C dependent proliferation of cancer associated fibroblasts by SMAD7 induction | (14) |
| CCR2 | Recruitment of immunosuppressive tumor associated macrophages to the tumor microenvironment | (15) |
| CD40 | Promotes tumoricidal macrophage infiltration and stromal depletion | (16) |
| CDK4/6 | Phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and entry into S phase | (17) |
| CXCR4 | Binding of CXCL12 to CXCR4 promotes T cell suppression | (18) |
| FAK | Increased fibrosis and poor CD8+ T cell infiltration | (19) |
| Hh | Increased stromal desmoplasia via upregulation of the Gli family of transcription factors | (20) |
| JAK1/2 | Upregulates inflammatory cytokines and STAT3 leading to disease progression | (21) |
| MyD88 | CD4+ and CD8+ T cell suppression | (22) |
CCR2, C-C chemokine receptor type 2; CD40, cluster of differentiation 40; CDK4/6, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6; CXCR4, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4; FAK, focal adhesion kinase; Hh, hedgehog; JAK1/2, Janus kinase 1/2; MyD88, myeloid differentiation primary response 88.