Pancreatic cancer microenvironment, to target or not to target?

Abstract

We have collectively been spoiled by the astounding clinical benefit of antimicrobials. Much like the discovery and use of penicillin to eradicate once deadly infections, we continue to desperately search for the next “magic bullet” to kill cancer while sparing the non‐transformed cells. Greater appreciation for the molecular intricacies of malignancy has resulted in dedicated pursuit of cancer genomics and large‐scale informatics to identify “drugable” targets within the cancer cell itself. However, studies at the bench elucidating a dynamic relationship between tumor and microenvironment have become more common and demonstrate promise for novel therapeutic intervention.