Metabolic reprogramming by driver mutation-tumor microenvironment interplay in pancreatic cancer: new therapeutic targets

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers globally with a mortality rate exceeding 95% and very limited therapeutic options. A hallmark of PDAC is its acidic tumor microenvironment, further characterized by excessive fibrosis and depletion of oxygen and nutrients due to poor vascularity. The combination of PDAC driver mutations and adaptation to this hostile environment drives extensive metabolic reprogramming of the cancer cells toward non-canonical metabolic pathways and increases reliance on scavenging mechanisms such as autophagy and macropinocytosis. In addition, the cancer cells benefit from metabolic crosstalk with nonmalignant cells within the tumor microenvironment, including pancreatic stellate cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial and immune cells. Increasing evidence shows that this metabolic rewiring is closely related to chemo- and radioresistance and immunosuppression, causing extensive treatment failure. Indeed, stratification of human PDAC tumors into subtypes based on their metabolic profiles was shown to predict disease outcome. Accordingly, an increasing number of clinical trials target pro-tumorigenic metabolic pathways, either as stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with chemotherapy. In this review, we highlight key findings and potential future directions of pancreatic cancer metabolism research, specifically focusing on novel therapeutic opportunities.