Hedgehog信号通路与胰腺癌研究进展

Hedgehog signaling pathway and pancreatic cancer

Hedgehog通路是动物胚胎发育中的经典信号通路，参与了人类多种组织的分化、增殖过程。在胰腺癌中，Hedgehog通路被异常激活并参与着胰腺癌多个病理生理过程。其中，近年发现Hedgehog通路在胰腺癌纤维化、乏血供、缺氧的肿瘤微环境形成过程中的作用尤为突出。应用Hedgehog抑制剂减少肿瘤间质治疗胰腺癌患者的设想已进入了临床实验阶段，但实验结果却差强人意。这激发了人们对于胰腺癌肿瘤间质所扮演角色的新一轮探索。

Hedgehog （Hh） signaling is critical for embryonic development and in differentiation, prolifer- ation, and maintenance of multiple adult tissues. Deregulation of the Hh pathway is associated with Multiple pathological steps of PDAC（Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma）. A prominent desmoplastic stromal reaction is the pathological hallmark of PDAC,it contributes to the formation of the hypovascular and hypoxic microenvironment of PDAC .And Hedgehog signaling is one of the most crucial pathways that maintains and activates the stroma. Clinical trials of Hedgehog signaling inhibitors in treatment of PDAC has been conducted,but results have been disappointing. Recently, to undercover the reason of the failure of clinical trial,more work has been done to un- covering the underlying role of stroma in PDAC.