Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41084839›Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer therapeutics2026

Immune Stromal Components Impede Biological Effectiveness of Carbon Ion Therapy in a Preclinical Model of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Katy L Swancutt, Eslam A Elghonaimy, James H Nicholson, Laurentiu M Pop, Brock J Sishc, Elizabeth M Alves, Cassandra Hamilton, Adam Rusek, Anthony J Davis, Raquibul Hannan and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Katy L SwancuttDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0002-8991-409X
Eslam A ElghonaimyDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0009-0006-6017-3431
James H NicholsonDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0009-0006-5042-5498
Laurentiu M PopDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0001-8966-8020
Brock J SishcDepartment of Cancer Biology and Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.ORCID 0000-0003-2071-0571
Elizabeth M AlvesDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0001-5776-7649
Cassandra HamiltonDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0002-0025-4081
Adam RusekNASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York.ORCID 0009-0004-7910-2102
Anthony J DavisDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0003-0184-3651
Raquibul HannanDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0003-1282-056X
Michael D StoryDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0001-6522-4169
Todd A AguileraDivision of Molecular Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.ORCID 0000-0002-3734-3758

Funding

Cancer Biology Training GrantT32CA124334 · NCI · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI SHAY, JERRY WILLIAM · 2007 to 2021
$5.3M
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) RR170051Carroll Shelby Family FoundationNational Cancer Institute (NCI) T32CA124334NCI NIH HHS T32 CA124334
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The tumor landscape of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is refractory to conventional photon radiotherapy (RT) because of a fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes chronic hypoxia and reduced immune surveillance. The radiobiological factors unique to carbon ion RT (CIRT), such as high linear energy transfer and less dependence on oxygen, make it well-suited to overcome the PDAC TME. In this study, we utilized clonal syngeneic KPC pancreatic tumor cell lines and tumors to examine this postulate and to identify underlying factors that affect the response of PDAC to CIRT. Although KPC cell lines exhibited radiobiological effectiveness greater than 3, subcutaneous tumors in the mouse hind leg showed lower radiobiological effectiveness-1.3 based on quintupling time-at a linear energy transfer between 70 and 80 keV/μm. Four days after CIRT, we observed widespread transcriptomic changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting increased infiltration of antitumor immune cells and elevated expression of antitumor T-cell cytokines, MHC class I molecules, and co-stimulatory signals. Fewer immunologic changes were observed following photon irradiation. By 7 days after CIRT, tumor-supportive transcriptomic programs characterized by protumor cytokines, M2 macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts emerged, promoting resistance and limiting the durability of tumor growth delay. These findings suggest that CIRT may offer a favorable platform compared with conventional photon RT for combining with immunotherapies. Furthermore, these data highlight the risk of using in vitro survival data alone in treatment planning and indicate that underlying TME factors affect the response of PDAC in vivo.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalHeavy Ion RadiotherapyPancreatic NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalHumansMiceTumor Microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID41084839
PMCPMC12869159

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.