Data Sheet 2_Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor levels are a potential therapy-response biomarker for pancreatic cancer.pdf

IntroductionCytokines have long been studied for their role in the pathophysiology of cancer, though their role is varied and complex. Cytokines have been mainly developed as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker using a single measurement from a cohort of patients. Dynamic changes in cytokines may inform us about the prognostic impact of therapy under investigation.
MethodsWe investigated retrospectively whether a panel of selected cytokines could be used as a potential biomarker to assess treatment response and predict the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients (n=19) treated with combination of Gemcitabine, nab-Paclitaxel and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), in the Phase I trial (STARPAC, NCT03307148). We measured cytokine levels in the plasma samples, from multiple cycle/visit time-points.
ResultsOf the six cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-16, VEGF, IL-1RA and RANTES) assessed from the STARPAC trial, we propose that VEGF could serve as a potential biomarker for eventual therapy response, as early as the second chemotherapy cycle (of six).
DiscussionVEGF as a potential therapy response biomarker will need to be tested in phase II randomized controlled trial.