pancreatic-cancer

Novel IL-12 delivery strategies could unlock its anti-cancer power in pancreatic cancer.

IL-12 is a potent immunostimulatory cytokine with anti-cancer potential, but systemic administration causes severe toxicities (cytokine release syndrome, multi-organ dysfunction). This review covers delivery platforms addressing this: cellular encapsulation, virotherapy, lipid nanocapsules, polymer-based systems, local electroporation, and CAR-T combinations. These enable localized sustained IL-12 expression in the PDAC TME while minimizing systemic exposure.

Key Findings

IL-12 has strong anti-cancer potential but severe systemic toxicity limits clinical use
Six delivery platforms identified: cellular encapsulation, virotherapy, lipid nanocapsules, polymers, electroporation, CAR-T combinations
Localized delivery enables sustained IL-12 expression while minimizing systemic exposure
PDAC's immunosuppressive TME is a key target for IL-12-based approaches
Combining IL-12 delivery with existing immunotherapy platforms is a promising strategy

Implications

Novel IL-12 delivery could convert PDAC from immunotherapy-resistant to immunotherapy-responsive. These platforms could extend to other immunotherapy-resistant malignancies.

Caveats

Review article; abstract-only. Most delivery platforms are preclinical. Clinical translation faces significant manufacturing, regulatory, and safety hurdles.

Source: Frontiers in immunology — 2026-01-01

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