Decoding and Targeting the Pancreatic Cancer Ecosystem
The Research Division “Interventional Immunology” at the Leibniz Institute for Immunotherapy (LIT), headed by Prof. Philipp Beckhove, is part of a new collaborative project striving for a holistic understanding of cancer-immune cell interactions within the pancreatic ecosystem. Ultimately, this knowledge aims to enable personalized combination immunotherapies targeting both tumor cells and their immune environment to finally transform pancreatic cancer into a treatable disease.
Article Details
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Date Published
February 3, 2026
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive, lethal and therapy-resistant cancer that often metastasizes before detection. This disease causes significant mortality and morbidity in our societies, highlighting the urgent need for better treatment. While targeted therapies and immunotherapies improved survival rates for other metastatic cancers, up to now they are not effective for PDAC. This tumor seems to have an extremely adaptable ecosystem consisting of cancer cells, fibroblasts and immune cells, which overcomes all current therapies by becoming more aggressive and resistant.
Under the name “Decoding and targeting the PDAC ecosystem – DEFEAT-PDAC” scientists from Germany, the US, and Canada will build up a new form of collaboration, data sharing, and transdisciplinary thinking: The new structure sponsored by German Cancer Aid within the Priority Program “German Pancreatic Cancer Alliance” will establish a trans-Atlantic PDAC science network focusing on one common goal: eradicating tumor cells by harnessing the immune system and preventing ecosystem reorganization, to overcome relapse and resistance development.
At a scientific symposium including presentations of internal and distinguished externals speakers, many of the participating researchers looked ahead to the exciting work of the next five years. © TUM
The multidisciplinary intersectoral DEFEAT-PDAC team is led by Prof. Dieter Saur from the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy. Clinical scientists, biomedical researchers, health professionals, computational and data scientists, patient advocates and public outreach experts from 11 sites in Germany and 3 sites in North America bring in complementary expertise. Together, this team possesses the unique translational expertise required to tackle the challenge of developing (immune)combination therapies and take the results from bench to bedside.
”By addressing the immune barriers within the cancer ecosystem and leveraging the latest advancements in immunotherapy, the LIT will help to customize immunotherapies for PDAC that go beyond existing therapies and initiate a new era of improved patient outcomes”, says Prof. Philipp Beckhove, Head of Interventional Immunology Division and Scientific Director of the LIT. Together with Dr. Chong Sun, Junior Research Group Leader “Immune Regulation in Cancer” at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Beckhove’s team will collaborate on the preclinical development of conceptually new immunotherapies.
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