Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2014; 20(32): 11216-11229
Published online Aug 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i32.11216
Pancreatic cancer and its stroma: A conspiracy theory
Zhihong Xu, Srinivasa P Pothula, Jeremy S Wilson, Minoti V Apte
Zhihong Xu, Srinivasa P Pothula, Jeremy S Wilson, Minoti V Apte, Pancreatic Research Group, South Western Sydney Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia
Zhihong Xu, Srinivasa P Pothula, Jeremy S Wilson, Minoti V Apte, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia
Author contributions: Xu Z and Apte MV wrote the paper; Xu Z, Pothula SP, Wilson JS and Apte MV revised the paper.
Supported by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Cancer Council of New South Wales and the Cancer Institute NSW
Correspondence to: Minoti V Apte, Professor, Pancreatic Research Group, South Western Sydney Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia. m.apte@unsw.edu.au
Telephone: +61-2-87389029 Fax: +61-2-96029441
Received: November 4, 2013
Revised: February 18, 2014
Accepted: April 15, 2014
Published online: August 28, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: This review summarises current knowledge about the role of pancreatic stellate cells in production of cancer stroma, the mechanisms mediating stromal-tumour interactions and novel therapeutic approaches developed on the basis of our increasing understanding of the critical influence of stromal elements on disease progression.