Combating PDAC Drug Resistance: The Role of Ref-1 Inhibitors in Accelerating Progress in Pancreatic Cancer Research

Abstract

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal solid tumor diagnoses given its limited treatment options and dismal prognosis. Its complex tumor microenvironment (TME), heterogeneity, and high propensity for drug resistance are major obstacles in developing effective therapies. Here, we highlight the critical role of Redox effector 1 (Ref-1) in PDAC progression and drug resistance, focusing on its redox regulation of key transcription factors (TFs) such as STAT3, HIF1α, and NF-κB, which are pivotal for tumor survival, proliferation, and immune evasion. We discuss the development of novel Ref-1 inhibitors, including second-generation compounds with enhanced potency and improved pharmacokinetic profiles, which have shown significant promise in preclinical models. These inhibitors disrupt Ref-1’s redox function, leading to decreased TF activity and increased chemosensitivity in PDAC cells. We further detail our utilization of advanced preclinical models, such as 3D spheroids, organoids, and Tumor-Microenvironment-on-Chip (T-MOC) systems, which better simulate the complex conditions of the PDAC TME and improve the predictive power of therapeutic responses. By targeting Ref-1 and its associated pathways, in conjunction with improved models, more replicative of PDAC’s TME, we are focused on approaches which hold the potential to overcome current therapeutic limitations and advance the development of more effective treatments for PDAC. Our findings suggest that integrating Ref-1 inhibitors into combination therapies could disrupt multiple survival mechanisms within the tumor, offering new hope for improving outcomes in this challenging cancer.