Simple Summary Immune checkpoint blockade has provided durable clinical responses in a
number of human malignancies, but not in patients with pancreatic cancer. Efforts to
understand mechanisms of resistance and increase efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade
in pancreatic cancer require the use of appropriate preclinical models in the laboratory.
Here, we discuss the benefits, caveats, and potentials for improvement of the most
commonly used models, including murine-based and patient-derived models. Abstract The …

Unlike many other cancers, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has seen only
incremental improvement in mortality despite significant advances in our understanding of
the underlying biology. A primary obstacle to progress has been our inability to properly
model PDAC in a preclinical setting. PDAC is difficult to study because of its genetic
heterogeneity, intricate stromal microenvironment, and complex interplay with our immune
system. Finding a model that properly accounts for all these criteria remains difficult. This …