Jashodeep Datta, MD

Pancreatic cancer is very hard to treat. Even after surgery, it often comes back. One reason is the tissue around the tumor. This tissue can help the tumor grow and hide from treatment. Our work targets a key set of harmful signals in this tissue. Many of these signals use one helper protein, called IL1RAP. We will test a drug called nadunolimab that blocks IL1RAP. We hope this will quiet these signals and help standard treatment work better, especially when treatment is given before surgery. We will study the effect of IL1RAP in two main cell groups: 1. certain white blood cells that can block the body’s immune attack, and 2. support cells that can build a barrier around the tumor. We will also study tumor samples from patients. We will test whether the presence of IL1RAP-rich cell “neighborhoods” predict how well treatment works or does not work. In animal models of pancreatic cancer, we will test if adding nadunolimab before surgery can delay or prevent relapse after surgery. Finally, we will develop simple tissue and blood tests to show early if the drug is working. These tests can guide future trials and improve care for people with pancreatic cancer.