Pancreatic ductal cells transport bicarbonate from blood to pancreatic juice. A study shows that pancreatic cancer retains SLC4A4-mediated bicarbonate import to fuel cancer growth via enhanced glycolysis and establish a pro-tumorigenic immune microenvironment. Targeting SLC4A4 mitigates acidosis and can be combined with checkpoint blockade.
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S.K.D. receives research funding from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Genocea and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and is a founder, science advisory board member and equity holder in Kojin.
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Qiang, L., Dougan, S.K. Bicarbonate transport as a vulnerability in pancreatic cancer. Nat Cancer 3, 1449–1451 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00492-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-022-00492-w