(278) Melting the Iceberg – Nanomedicines-driven Matrix Remodeling and Immune Recruitment in PDAC

Introduction: While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized cancer treatment, pancreatic cancer (PDAC) remains one of the most ICI-resistant tumors [1]. Its unique dense stroma and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) limit immune cell infiltration and therapeutic efficacy. Here, we demonstrate how nanomedicines overcome these barriers and drive an effective response against PDAC. We developed a crosslinked nanoconjugate carrying a FAK inhibitor (FAKi) to remodel PDAC stroma and dendritic cell (DC)-targeted polymeric nanoparticles to recruit effective immune cells into the TME.