2026-08-05 テキサス大学オースチン校（UT Austin）
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.utexas.edu/2026/08/05/ut-led-study-finds-dormant-cancer-cells-block-immune-cells-to-disarm-immunotherapy/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75883-z
休眠状態の腫瘍細胞が膵臓癌における免疫抑制的な微小環境を形成する Quiescent tumor cells shape the immunosuppressive microenvironment in pancreatic cancer
B. McClellan,Q. Wang,K. Aung & W. Matsui
Nature Communications Published:21 July 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75883-z Unedited version
Abstract
Immunotherapy, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, has limited activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Using orthotopic PDAC mouse models, we identified a rare population of quiescent PDAC cells that increases after CAR-T cell therapy and exhibits relatively higher clonogenic growth and self-renewal potential than bulk tumor cells. These quiescent cells express high levels of Epiregulin (EREG), a secreted ligand for EGFR and ErbB4, and induce an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by increasing the frequency of ErbB4-expressing tumor-associated macrophages. Using complementary genetic and pharmacologic approaches, we demonstrate that targeting EREG enhances the sensitivity of quiescent tumor cells and PDAC tumors to CAR T-cell therapy, resulting in reduced relapse and improved overall survival. These findings support a model in which rare quiescent tumor cells contribute to remodeling of the PDAC tumor microenvironment through EREG-associated signaling and suggest that EREG inhibition may enhance the efficacy of adoptive cellular immunotherapy in this disease.
