Purpose of review: Despite all efforts, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a disease that causes substantial morbidity and mortality, with a 5-year survival rate of 7%. Innovative paradigms for treating PDAC are urgently needed.
Recent findings: We discuss the advances and difficulties in using immunotherapy and developing immunotherapeutic vaccines for PDAC. Current excitement about antigen-specific immunotherapy has been propelled by advances in multiple areas, such as next-generation sequencing to identify neoantigens and manufacturing to produce immunotherapeutic vaccines. Antigen-specific immunotherapy is being actively explored in clinical trials. As the field of immunotherapy matures and as our understanding of the complex interactions between tumor and host develops, we hope to identify new methods for treating and managing PDAC.
Keywords: Cancer vaccines; Immunotherapy; Pancreatic adenocarcinoma.