Resveratrol and pancreatic cancers: Questions and future perspectives

Abstract

There is still no effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies among the gastrointestinal diseases. Jiang et al demonstrated the presence of senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in pancreatic cancer tissues, supporting the use of CAFs as potential anti-cancer targets. The study indicated that a natural plant-derived compound resveratrol can reverse senescent CAF phenotype and decrease the growth, migration, and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. Notably, the study indicated that resveratrol might be involved in regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the tumor microenvironment. This editorial shares insights on the future investigation of resveratrol signaling in cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, and discusses resveratrol-based treatment perspectives.

Keywords: Pancreatic cancer; Resveratrol; Cancer-associated fibroblasts; Tumor microenvironment; Antioxidant; Immune senescence

Core Tip: A promising new direction for the treatment of pancreatic cancer has been investigated and reported by Jiang et al. Using immunohistochemistry, the authors assessed pancreatic cancer tissues and detected the presence of senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment. Following this, the authors observed the ability of the natural polyphenolic compound resveratrol to reverse the senescent CAF phenotype and inhibit pancreatic cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. This editorial assesses important aspects of the original article and discusses future perspectives of resveratrol-containing therapy.