Pancreatic cancer and cellular senescence: tumor microenvironment under the spotlight

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has one of the most dismal prognoses of all cancers due to its late manifestation and resistance to current therapies. Accumulating evidence has suggested that the malignant behavior of this cancer is mainly influenced by the associated strongly immunosuppressive, desmoplastic microenvironment and by the relatively low mutational burden. PDAC develops and progresses through a multi‐step process. Early in tumorigenesis, cancer cells must evade the effects of cellular senescence, which slows proliferation and promotes the immune‐mediated elimination of pre‐malignant cells. The role of senescence as a tumor suppressor has been well‐established; however, recent evidence has revealed novel pro‐tumorigenic paracrine functions of senescent cells towards their microenvironment. Understanding the interactions between tumors and their microenvironment is a growing research field, with evidence having been provided that non‐tumoral cells composing the tumor microenvironment (TME) influence tumor proliferation, metabolism, cell death, and therapeutic resistance. Simultaneously, cancer cells shape a tumor‐supportive and immunosuppressive environment, influencing both non‐tumoral neighboring and distant cells. The overall intention of this review is to provide an overview of the interplay that occurs between senescent and non‐senescent cell types and to describe how such interplay may have an impact on PDAC progression. Specifically, the effects and the molecular changes occurring in non‐cancerous cells during senescence, and how these may contribute to a tumor‐permissive microenvironment, will be discussed. Finally, senescence targeting strategies will be briefly introduced, highlighting their potential in the treatment of PDAC.