Inflammatory cytokines in human pancreatic cancer

• Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal types of cancer with poor prognosis.
• Current treatments provide very limited benefits with urgent need for new approaches.
• Pancreatic tumor microenvironment supports tumor growth and immune evasion.
• Up-regulation of cytokines plays an important role in the tumor progression.
• Targeting cytokine pathways may have therapeutic benefits.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal types of cancer with poor prognosis. Despite extensive efforts, the current treatment methods have limited success. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches are required. The pancreatic tumor microenvironment is rich in growth factors and inflammatory cytokines that support tumor growth, and it is highly immunosuppressive. Up-regulation of cytokine pathways has been shown to modulate PDAC progression and immune evasion; therefore targeting cytokines may have therapeutic benefits. In this review we provide an overview of current understanding of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in pancreatic cancer and their potential as therapeutic targets.