Researchers have identified a promising new way to weaken pancreatic cancer by targeting a protein called IL1RAP. Pancreatic tumors depend on an inflammatory network within their surrounding environment to grow, evade the immune system, and resist treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. IL1RAP acts as a key control point in this network, and blocking it may shut down multiple cancer-supporting signals at once.
Preclinical studies showed that inhibiting IL1RAP reduced immune-suppressive cells around tumors while boosting the activity of cancer-fighting T cells. These findings suggest that targeting IL1RAP could make pancreatic tumors more vulnerable to treatment.Supported by an $800,000 Translational Research Grant from the V Foundation, researchers are now launching the first clinical trial of this approach. Led by Dr. Jashodeep Datta and Dr. Peter Hosein, the study will test IL1RAP-targeted therapy combined with chemoimmunotherapy in patients with operable pancreatic cancer before surgery. The trial aims to determine whether disrupting tumor-promoting inflammation can improve patient outcomes and provide new insights into pancreatic cancer biology.