Chosun University Hospital Professor Shin Dagyeom Publishes Pancreatic Cancer Research in 'Cancer Letters'

Professor Shin Dakyum, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chosun University Hospital.

Chosun University Hospital announced on the 16th that Professor Shin Dagyeom from the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery recently published a paper titled "Spatial distribution and activation changes of T cells in pancreatic tumors according to KRAS mutation subtype."

This research achievement was published online on April 14th in the internationally renowned cancer research journal 'Cancer Letters (IF: 9.1),' and will be officially published in Volume 618 (dated May 28).

This study was conducted with Professor Shin Dagyeom from Chosun University Hospital's Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Dr. Jung Jihae from the Asan Medical Center Biomedical Research Institute as co-first authors, and Professor Jeon Eunsung from the Asan Medical Center Biomedical Research Institute, Professor Choi Jungkyun from the KAIST Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, and Professor Kim Songcheol from the Asan Medical Center Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery as co-corresponding authors.

The research team analyzed the differences in spatial distribution and activation of T cells in the tumor microenvironment according to KRAS subtypes, the gene most commonly found in pancreatic cancer, using multiplex immunohistochemistry and whole exome sequencing (WES). As a result, they found that in pancreatic cancer, immune cells are relatively more distributed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) region, and that patients in the group with higher T cell infiltration tended to show a significant increase in survival rates.

Additionally, the deposition and distribution changes of T cells were found to be influenced by genetic mutations in tumor cells. In particular, compared to the KRAS G12D mutation, tumors with the KRAS G12V mutation showed a tendency for increased T cell distribution and activation.

Professor Shin Dagyeom stated, "Through this study, we confirmed that the immune environment of pancreatic cancer is formed differently according to the KRAS mutation subtype," and added, "As the effectiveness of immunotherapy may also vary depending on the distribution and activation of T cells, it is expected that more precise and personalized treatment strategies can be established."