Characterization of Mesothelin Glycosylation in Pancreatic Cancer: Decreased Core Fucosylated Glycoforms in Pancreatic Cancer Patients’ Sera

Leveraging glycosylation for early detection and therapeutic target discovery in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis, limited biomarker specificity, and aggressive metastatic potential. Recent glycoproteomic studies have illuminated the crucial role of glycosylation in PC progression, revealing altered glycosylation patterns that impact cell adhesion, immune evasion, and tumor invasiveness. Biomarkers such as CA19-9 remain the clinical standard, yet limitations in sensitivity and specificity, especially in early disease stages, necessitate the exploration of alternative markers. Emerging glycoproteins-such as mesothelin, thrombospondin-2, and glycan modifications like sialyl-Lewis x-offer diagnostic promise when combined with CA19-9 or used in profiling panels. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies targeting glycosylation processes, including sialylation, and fucosylation, have shown potential in curbing PC metastasis and enhancing immune response. Translational platforms, such as patient-derived xenografts and advanced in vitro models, are pivotal in validating these findings and assessing glycosylation potential therapeutic impact. Continued exploration of glycosylation-driven mechanisms and biomarker discovery in PC can significantly advance early detection and treatment efficacy, offering new hope in the management of this challenging disease.

Dawn era for revisited cancer therapy by innate immune system and immune checkpoint inhibitors

Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer. However, it shows limited efficacy against certain tumor types. The activation of innate immunity can suppress tumors by mitigating inflammatory and malignant behaviors through immune surveillance. The tumor microenvironment, which is composed of immune cells and cancer cells, plays a crucial role in determining the outcomes of immunotherapy. Relying solely on immune checkpoint inhibitors is not an optimal approach. Instead, there is a need to consider the use of a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with other modulators of the innate immune system to improve the tumor microenvironment. This can be achieved through methods such as immune cell antigen presentation and recognition. In this review, we delve into the significance of innate immune cells in tumor regression, as well as the role of the interaction of tumor cells with innate immune cells in evading host immune surveillance. These findings pave the way for the next chapter in the field of immunotherapy.