---
title: CD40 immunotherapy shows efficacy in treating pancreatic cancer in mice, humans
date: 2011-03-29T21:27:19Z
modified: 2011-03-29T21:27:19Z
permalink: "https://nko.org/cd40-immunotherapy-shows-efficacy-treating-pancreatic-cancer-mice-humans/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 917
categories:
  - Education
tags:
  - Education
  - antitumor immunity
  - cancer
  - CD40 immunotherapy
  - CD40-activated macrophages
  - humans
  - Immunosuppressive tumor micro-environments
  - mice
  - pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
  - science
  - T cell responses
author: Paul Garrett Hugel
timestamp: 2011-03-29T21:27:19Z
---

RT[@sciencemagazine](https://twitter.com/#!/sciencemagazine) CD40 immunotherapy shows efficacy in treating pancreatic cancer in mice, humans

Abstract:

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments can restrain antitumor immunity, particularly in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Because CD40 activation can reverse immune suppression and drive antitumor T cell responses, we tested the combination of an agonist CD40 antibody with gemcitabine chemotherapy in a small cohort of patients with surgically incurable PDA and observed tumor regressions in some patients. We reproduced this treatment effect in a genetically engineered mouse model of PDA and found unexpectedly that tumor regression required macrophages but not T cells or gemcitabine. CD40-activated macrophages rapidly infiltrated tumors, became tumoricidal, and facilitated the depletion of tumor stroma. Thus, cancer immune surveillance does not necessarily depend on therapy-induced T cells; rather, our findings demonstrate a CD40-dependent mechanism for targeting tumor stroma in the treatment of cancer.

[Read full story at Science Magazine](http://scim.ag/hgi2y5)

## Topics

**Categories:** [Education](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/category/education.md)

**Tags:** [antitumor immunity](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/antitumor-immunity.md), [cancer](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/cancer.md), [CD40 immunotherapy](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/cd40-immunotherapy.md), [CD40-activated macrophages](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/cd40-activated-macrophages.md), [humans](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/humans.md), [Immunosuppressive tumor micro-environments](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/immunosuppressive-tumor-micro-environments.md), [mice](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/mice.md), [pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/pancreatic-ductal-adenocarcinoma.md), [science](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/science.md), [T cell responses](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/t-cell-responses.md)