Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Stromal Reprogramming Consortium (PSRC)

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Stromal Reprogramming Consortium image with PSRC in big letters and the R made up of purple arrows

The PSRC aims to develop a multidisciplinary community of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) researchers that will expand upon traditional tumor-centric studies and ongoing immuno-oncology efforts. The network is focusing on the identification, integration, and mechanistic evaluation of additional tumor microenvironment (TME) elements driving PDAC progression and response to therapy.

The intent of this DCB and the NCI Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis program (funded through RFA-CA-21-041/RFA-CA-21-042) is to bridge basic/mechanistic biology with preclinical/translational research. PSRC also aims to adopt a comprehensive “Tumor-TME Co-Organizer” research model in the pursuit of novel biology-backed targets involved in modulating multi-directional tumor-microenvironment dynamics. This expansion is designed to expose new biology-backed vulnerabilities that will inform the design and testing of more effective combinatorial approaches in pre-clinical platforms and near future clinical evaluation.

PSRC News

Research Advances from the PSRC

Studies from PSRC are advancing the understanding of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and revealing new vulnerabilities to inform the development of more effective therapies.

Publication Highlights

Dr. Melissa Fishel et al. with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign PSRC showed that depletion of fibrinogen suppresses pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis in preclinical models by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment toward tumor-restraining, fibroblast-enriched stroma. They also found that targeting fibrinogen with an antisense oligonucleotide or nanoparticles containing small interfering RNAs (that are currently being clinically tested) may be potential therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Marina Pasca di Magliano et al. with the University of Michigan found that tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells have elevated expression of CCR1 in pancreatic cancer. They also showed that targeting CCR1 reduces pancreatic tumor growth, reprograms tumor-associated macrophages to promote T-cell activation, and sensitizes pancreatic cancers to immunotherapy in preclinical models.

PSRC Digital Media

Learn more about the PSRC via the following digital media platforms:

PSRC Website
PSRC X/Twitter Account: @PacmenC

DCB Contact for the PSRC

For additional information about PSRC, please contact Dr. Jeff Hildesheim.

Funded Projects

PSRC Research Projects (U01s)

Institution	Principal Investigator(s)	Center Title
Columbia University Health Sciences	Kenneth P. Olive, Gulam A. Manji	Elucidation and targeting of paracrine cascades in PDAC
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	William C Hahn, Andrew J. Aguirre, Stephanie Dougan	Stromal modulation of pancreatic malignant cell state and therapeutic sensitivity
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Bumsoo Han, Melissa S. Fishel, Matthew J. Flick	Reprogramming PDAC stroma by targeting coagulation in the tumor microenvironment
University of California, San Diego	Michael Karin, Andrew M. Lowy, Robert F. Schwabe	Regulation of PDAC metabolism and immunity by collagen and its cleavage products
University of Michigan	Marina Pasca Di Magliano, Howard C. Crawford, Timothy L. Frankel, Costas A. Lyssiotis	Fibroblast orchestration of the immune response in pancreatic cancer
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	Jen Jen Yeh, Naim Ur Rashid, Susan Tsai	Integrating tumor and stroma to understand and predict treatment response

PSRC Coordinating and Data Management Center (U24)

Institution	Principal Investigator(s)	Center Title
MD Anderson Cancer Center	Anirban Maitra, J. Jack Lee	PASSCODE (Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Stromal Reprogramming Consortium Coordination, Data Management and Education)