Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents a formidable challenge due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in PDAC, characterized by intense stromal desmoplastic reactions and a dominant presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), significantly...
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Biomedicines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/591 |
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| author | Rita Saúde-Conde Ayça Arçay Öztürk Kosta Stosic Oier Azurmendi Senar Julie Navez Christelle Bouchart Tatjana Arsenijevic Patrick Flamen Jean-Luc Van Laethem |
| author_facet | Rita Saúde-Conde Ayça Arçay Öztürk Kosta Stosic Oier Azurmendi Senar Julie Navez Christelle Bouchart Tatjana Arsenijevic Patrick Flamen Jean-Luc Van Laethem |
| author_sort | Rita Saúde-Conde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents a formidable challenge due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in PDAC, characterized by intense stromal desmoplastic reactions and a dominant presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), significantly contributes to therapeutic resistance. However, within the heterogeneous CAF population, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) emerges as a promising target for Gallium-68 FAP inhibitor positron emission tomography (Ga68FAPI-PET) imaging. Notably, 68Ga-FAPI-PET demonstrates promising diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, especially in conjunction with low tracer uptake in non-tumoral tissues. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into tumor–stroma interactions, a critical aspect of PDAC tumorigenesis not adequately visualized through conventional methods. The clinical implications of this innovative imaging modality extend to its potential to reshape treatment strategies by offering a deeper understanding of the dynamic TME. However, while the potential of 68Ga-FAPI-PET is evident, ongoing correlative studies are essential to elucidate the full spectrum of CAF heterogeneity and to validate its impact on PDAC management. This article provides a comprehensive review of CAF heterogeneity in PDAC and explores the potential impact of 68Ga-FAPI-PET on disease management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:31:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b172f1663aed47dfae3a67509ed276b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:31:32Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
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| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj.art-b172f1663aed47dfae3a67509ed276b12024-03-27T13:22:53ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592024-03-0112359110.3390/biomedicines12030591Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body ImagingRita Saúde-Conde0Ayça Arçay Öztürk1Kosta Stosic2Oier Azurmendi Senar3Julie Navez4Christelle Bouchart5Tatjana Arsenijevic6Patrick Flamen7Jean-Luc Van Laethem8Digestive Oncology Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, BelgiumNuclear Medicine Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Bruxelles (HUB), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDigestive Oncology Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, BelgiumNuclear Medicine Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Bruxelles (HUB), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, BelgiumDigestive Oncology Department, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, BelgiumPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents a formidable challenge due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in PDAC, characterized by intense stromal desmoplastic reactions and a dominant presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), significantly contributes to therapeutic resistance. However, within the heterogeneous CAF population, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) emerges as a promising target for Gallium-68 FAP inhibitor positron emission tomography (Ga68FAPI-PET) imaging. Notably, 68Ga-FAPI-PET demonstrates promising diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, especially in conjunction with low tracer uptake in non-tumoral tissues. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into tumor–stroma interactions, a critical aspect of PDAC tumorigenesis not adequately visualized through conventional methods. The clinical implications of this innovative imaging modality extend to its potential to reshape treatment strategies by offering a deeper understanding of the dynamic TME. However, while the potential of 68Ga-FAPI-PET is evident, ongoing correlative studies are essential to elucidate the full spectrum of CAF heterogeneity and to validate its impact on PDAC management. This article provides a comprehensive review of CAF heterogeneity in PDAC and explores the potential impact of 68Ga-FAPI-PET on disease management.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/591cancer-associated fibroblastGallium-68 fibroblast activation protein inhibitor positron emission tomographyfibroblast activation proteinpancreatic cancerheterogeneity |
| spellingShingle | Rita Saúde-Conde Ayça Arçay Öztürk Kosta Stosic Oier Azurmendi Senar Julie Navez Christelle Bouchart Tatjana Arsenijevic Patrick Flamen Jean-Luc Van Laethem Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging Biomedicines cancer-associated fibroblast Gallium-68 fibroblast activation protein inhibitor positron emission tomography fibroblast activation protein pancreatic cancer heterogeneity |
| title | Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging |
| title_full | Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging |
| title_fullStr | Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging |
| title_short | Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma or a Metaphor for Heterogeneity: From Single-Cell Analysis to Whole-Body Imaging |
| title_sort | cancer associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or a metaphor for heterogeneity from single cell analysis to whole body imaging |
| topic | cancer-associated fibroblast Gallium-68 fibroblast activation protein inhibitor positron emission tomography fibroblast activation protein pancreatic cancer heterogeneity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/3/591 |
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