Interleukin-25 as a candidate gene in immunogene therapy of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive type of malignancy. Generally, its promotion and progression are due to the disturbance in some cellular and molecular mechanisms, particularly deregulation of programmed cell death or apoptosis. Certainly, loss of counterbalance between generation and cell death will lead to the tumoural mass development in various tissues, such as pancreas.

From earlier decades, a variety of treatments as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery have been employed in order to pancreatic cancer remedial purposes, which are associated with infirm medical outcome. Therefore, with regard to the anti-cancerous and pro-apoptotic properties of the cytokine interleukin-25 (IL-25), the authors intend to anticipate a new therapeutic strategy. IL-25 – known as IL-17E – is one of the major factors responsible for death receptor-mediated pathway. Broadly, its receptor is located on multifarious cells such as pancreatic cancerous cells. We proposed to select four groups of C57BL/6 mice, for IL-25 gene inoculation, via mesenchymal stem cells as a vector, in order to increase exposure of cancerous cells to IL-25. IL-25 could activate apoptotic mediators including tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factor (TRAF6), Fas-Associated protein with Death Domain (FADD) and caspases consequently. Probably this method will be efficient in pancreatic malignancy treatment, via inducing apoptosis in pancreatic tumoural cells.