ADAM12 is a circulating marker for stromal activation in pancreatic cancer and predicts response to chemotherapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by abundant stroma that harbors tumor-promoting properties. No good biomarkers exist to monitor the effect of stromal targeting therapies or to predict response. We set out to identify such non-invasive markers for PDAC stroma and predict response to therapy. Gene expression datasets, co-culture experiments, xenografts, and patient samples were analyzed. Serum samples were measured from a cohort of 58 resected patients, and 87 metastatic or locally advanced PDAC patients. Baseline and follow-up levels were assessed in 372 additional metastatic PDAC patients who received nab-paclitaxel with gemcitabine ( n = 184) or gemcitabine monotherapy ( n = 188) in the phase III MPACT trial. Increased levels of ADAM12 were found in PDAC patients compared to healthy controls ( p