Protein S-palmitoylation is a post-translational lipid modification that regulates the stability and cellular distribution of numerous cancer-related proteins. A family of 23 palmitoyl transferases, called zinc finger Asp-His-His-Cys-type (ZDHHC), mediates this lipid modification. However, the potential role of palmitoyl transferases in tumor progression and immunotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains unexplored.
Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) is involved in the formation of tight junctions and is expressed in normal gastric mucosa, maintaining its expression during malignant transformation of the gastric epithelium. It is also aberrantly expressed in other tumor types, such as esophageal, pancreatic and lung adenocarcinoma, making it an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy.
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is an inhibitory factor on natural killer (NK) and T cells and is expressed in several cancer types and immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils. Researchers from Suzhou Neologics Bioscience Co. Ltd. have investigated CEACAM1 as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy.
Thetis Pharmaceuticals LLC and Harvard Medical School have presented data on the stable salt chelate of Resolvin E1, TP-317, for the potential treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-resistant and sensitive tumors. TP-315 is an activator of ChemR23, a receptor expressed on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. In vivo murine models of lung, melanoma (B16F10) and pancreatic (Panc2-H7) tumors were used to investigate TP-317 monotherapy and in combination with ICI.
The Chinese National Institute of Pharmaceutical R&D Co. Ltd. has described sulfonamide compounds acting as tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 11 (PTPN11; PTP-2C; SHP-2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, cancer, Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes.
Heterogeneity, in both tumors and their microenvironment, limits the success of current cancer treatments. But it also provides opportunities. Heterogeneities “are not barriers to therapy, they are vulnerabilities to be exploited,” was how David DeNardo described his take at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) on Sunday.
