Progress in undestanding of relationship between P2X7R and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

The insidious early symptoms and malignant and aggressive nature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) make its early diagnosis difficult.Furthermore, the disease lacks effective treatment options, ultimately leading to a high mortality rate.In recent years, there have been increasing reports on purinergic receptor P2X7 (P2X7R) in PDAC.In particular, P2X7R is considered as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation and some cancers.Treatment of pancreatic cancer with P2X7R inhibitors has been shown to reduce invasion and metastasis.The improvement of prognosis suggests a promising new approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.This paper reviews the progress in understanding the relationship between P2X7R and PDAC.