A subset of epithelial cells mimics regulatory T cells and contributes to immune evasion during development of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is refractory to most current treatment options. Immunotherapy emerges as an effective and novel therapeutic strategy for several solid tumors. However, most of the clinical trials on immunotherapy have failed in pancreatic cancer. Understanding the underlying mechanism that drives immune evasion of pancreatic cancer is critical for overcoming resistance to therapy. Recently, Dr. He Ren and colleagues proposed a novel concept that a subset of epithelial cells in pancreatic cancer mimics the phenotype and function of regulatory T cells, named as “quasi-regulatory T cells.” These cells contribute to enhanced immune evasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer, thus providing potential therapeutic targets to improve the sensitivity of immunotherapy for this devastating disease. This ground-breaking concept will advance our understanding on the immune evasion of pancreatic cancer and chart novel paths towards the development of personalized treatment for pancreatic cancer.