Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor-associated antigens (PDAC TAAs)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are a heterogeneous group of proteins that are either uniquely expressed or significantly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells compared to normal pancreatic tissue [1]. These antigens include surface-bound glycoproteins like Mesothelin (MSLN), Mucin 1 (MUC1), and Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), as well as intracellular proteins and mutated neoantigens such as KRAS G12D [2][3]. They serve as critical focal points for the development of targeted therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and advanced immunotherapies like chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and cancer vaccines [4]. By targeting these antigens, clinicians aim to induce a specific immune response against the tumor while minimizing damage to healthy cells [5]. However, the clinical utility of targeting PDAC TAAs is frequently challenged by the dense desmoplastic stroma of pancreatic tumors and the risk of "on-target, off-tumor" toxicities in healthy tissues that express low levels of these proteins [6].

Other names

Pancreatic cancer antigens [1]PDAC antigens [2]Pancreatic tumor antigens [3]Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) [4]

Therapeutic strategies involve the use of monoclonal antibodies to block signaling or induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for targeted delivery of cytotoxins, and CAR-T or TCR-T cells engineered to recognize TAA-derived peptides presented on HLA molecules [1][2][3].