July 1, 2024

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the 3rd most deadly cancers with a 5-year survival rate of only 3% in patients with metastases. Current efforts to improve outcomes in PDA have yet to significantly extend patient survival. Chemo-immunotherapy is largely limited in PDA by desmoplasia which contributes to 1) poor drug delivery, and 2) an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that neutralizes the action of immunotherapies. This project capitalizes on a non-toxic light- activated modality known as photodynamic priming (PDP), which we have shown to directly remediate desmoplasia. In doing so, PDP augments the delivery of small molecular weight therapeutics, monoclonal antibodies, and nanomedicines, and also mechanistically sensitize tumors to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The research has the potential to prolong patient survival, while mitigating dose-limiting toxicities and improving patient quality of life.