Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Western countries. The PDAC tumour microenvironment (TME) is characterized by a dense stromal reaction, consisting of many cell types including fibroblasts and immune cells. The chemokine receptor, CX3CR1 forms a high-affinity axis with its unique ligand CX3CL1 and is expressed on monocytes, macrophages and T cells. CX3CR1 is also present on pancreatic malignant cells, where it has been associated with metastasis formation. The aim of my project is to investigate the role of CX3CR1 in the progression and development of pancreatic cancer in a genetically engineered mouse model of PDAC, the CX3CR1GFP/GFPLSL-KRASG12D/+LSL-Trp53R172H/+Pdx1-Cre (CKPC) mouse. In these mice, the CX3CR1 protein is not functional but they express GFP. I have found that the absence of CX3CR1 in KPC mice has no effect in their lifespan and response to chemotherapy. Comparison of the immune infiltrate of the tumours revealed that the lack of CX3CR1 causes a significant decrease in T cells and a possible increase in myeloid cells in CKPC mice compared to KPC mice. Expression analysis of several inflammatory cytokines in the TME showed a significant difference in IL-10 between KPC and CKPC mice. There was also a significant increase in levels of, CX3CL1, both locally and in the plasma. Finally, we performed RNA-seq on KPC and CKPC tumours. My analysis revealed 607 differentially-expressed genes, some of which encoded other chemokines or protein regulating the immune system. In particular, I observed the upregulation of Cxcl10 and Cxcl12, and the downregulation of Gata3 and S100a4, which could explain the decrease in T cells in the TME of CKPC mice. In conclusion, although the lack of CX3CR1 modifies the TME in this genetic model of PDAC, these changes do not affect the lifespan or the response to chemotherapy.

Tumor-infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are important mediators of a tumor-permissive microenvironment that contributes to tumor growth and could account for the limited success of immunotherapeutic strategies. MDSCs suppress adaptive immunity by blocking T cell activation, inducing Treg accumulation, and inhibiting natural killer cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells. We investigated the roles of MDSCs in the regeneration of the exocrine pancreas associated with acute pancreatitis and the progression of acinar to ductal metaplasia. Acute pancreatitis was induced in wild type and P48+/Cre;LSL-KRASG12D mice using caerulein and an early influx of MDSCs into the pancreas was observed flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Numbers of Gr1(+)CD11b(+) MDSCs increased over 20-fold in pancreata of mice with acute pancreatitis to account for nearly 15% of intrapancreatic leukocytes and have T cell suppressive properties. This marked accumulation of MDSCs returned to normal values within 24 hours of the insult in wild type mice; however, in the oncogenic KRAS mice, MDSCs levels remained elevated. When intrapancreatic MDSCs were depleted by administration of a CXCR2 antagonist (SB265610) in wild type mice the severity of acinar damage was increased. This was also accompanied by a delayed regeneration determined morphologically and with the mitotic immunomarker phospho-histone H3. Isolated intrapancreatic MDSCs from treated mice induce naïve acinar cells to undergo acinar ductal metaplasia when co-cultured in collagen 3D cultures. Purified splenic MDSCs failed to induce the phenotypic transdifferentiation. We conclude that MDSCs are required for adequate pancreatic regeneration in wild type mice with acute pancreatitis and their persistent elevation in oncogenic KRAS mice is not only associated with immune-evasion, but may also function as direct enhancer of malignant proliferation.

Le cancer du pancréas exocrine est un cancer très agressif associé à un diagnostic tardif et une résistance aux traitements conventionnels. L'identification de nouveaux marqueurs spécifiques est nécessaire afin de développer des outils diagnostiques ainsi que des traitements innovants. La lipase sels biliaires-dépendante pathologique (BSDLp), une glycoforme tumorale de la BSDL, se caractérise par l'apparition d'épitopes glycosylés reconnus par les anticorps monoclonaux J28 et 16D10. Leur expression spécifique par certaines lignées et tissus pancréatiques tumoraux humains nous permet d'envisager leur utilisation comme cible d'immunothérapie anti-tumorale par les cellules dendritiques (DC). Notre objectif est d'explorer la capacité de la BSDLp à induire une immunité cellulaire et d'apporter une preuve de concept de vaccination par les DC dans un modèle expérimental. Chez l'Homme, nous montrons que les DC chargées avec la partie C-terminale de la BSDLpJ28 (C-ter-J28) induisent l'activation des lymphocytes T. Dans le modèle murin, nous mettons en évidence l'expression de l'épitope J28 à la surface des cellules d'adénocarcinome pancréatique Panc02, utilisées pour induire des tumeurs. Nous montrons que la glycoprotéine BSDLpJ28 est immunogène chez la souris C57BL/6J. De plus, les DC chargées avec le C-ter-J28 puis soumises à maturation sont capables d'induire une réponse cellulaire T. Enfin, les DC, chargées et soumises à maturation ou non, testées en traitement prophylactique instaurent une protection substantielle, de longue durée, chez les souris vaccinées. Dans ces conditions, les DC, immatures lors de l'injection, jouent un rôle important dans la protection anti-tumorale. / Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer associated to late diagnosis and resistance to conventional treatments. Identification of novel specific markers is necessary to develop diagnostic tools and innovative treatments. Pathological bile salt-dependent lipase (pBSDL), a tumoral glycovariant of BSDL, is characterized by the appearance of glycosylated epitopes recognized by J28 and 16D10 monoclonal antibodies. Their expression specific to some human tumor pancreatic cell lines and tissues led us to consider their use as targets for dendritic cell (DC) antitumor immunotherapy. Our aim is to explore the ability of pBSDL to induce cellular mediated immunity and to provide a proof of concept of DC vaccination in an experimental model. In humans, we show that DC pulsed with C-ter moiety of pBSDL-J28 (C-ter-J28) can induce T-cell activation. In mouse model, we demonstrate the expression of J28 epitope on pancreatic adenocarcinoma Panc02 cells, used to induce tumors in C57Bl/6 mice. We show that glycoprotein pBSDL (pBSDL-J28) is immunogenic in mice. Moreover, DC pulsed with C-ter-J28 and matured, are able to induce T-cell response. Finally, DC pulsed and matured or not, tested in prophylactic treatment provide long-term substantial protection in vaccinated mice. In these conditions, DC, immature at the time of the injection, play an important role in antitumor protection.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第13427号 / 論医博第2231号 / 新制||医||1053(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 松田 道行, 教授 渡邊 直樹, 教授 川口 義弥 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

<p dir="ltr">Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common and lethal pancreatic cancer subtype. The silent tumor progression and aggressive development of chemo-resistance are the primary factors behind the dismal 13% 5-year survival rate. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been the focus of many pancreatic cancer research since the TME actively interacts with cancer cells to promote tumor growth, drug resistance, and invasion. A thorough comprehension of PDAC cell and TME interaction is crucial to uncover the mechanism and key regulators behind PDAC’s rapid progression, high propensity for metastasis, and exceptional resistance to cancer therapeutics. Hydrogels have emerged as invaluable tools for investigating cell-matrix communication in three-dimensional (3D) environments, as their chemical and mechanical properties can be easily tuned to mimic the dynamic nature of native tissue. However, current biomimetic hydrogels used in PDAC models are elastic and often lack tissue-relevant viscoelastic properties, such as hysteresis and stress-relaxation. Stress-relaxation influences various cellular processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and cancer progression. This dissertation aims to address this gap by introducing viscoelasticity and fast stress relaxation into existing hydrogel platforms to more accurately replicate PDAC tissue mechanics. Specifically, we employ two chemistries: thiol-norbornene photopolymerization and boronic ester dynamic bonding to fabricate gelatin-based hydrogels. Gels formed solely via irreversible thiol-norbornene chemistry exhibit elasticity and slow stress-relaxation, while gels formed with both thiol-norbornene and reversible boronic ester bonds display viscoelastic properties and fast stress-relaxation. Cell-laden hydrogels with varying mechanical properties (low vs high stiffness, slow vs fast relaxation) were used as tools to explore the effects of matrix stiffening and viscoelasticity in promoting cancer aggressiveness. It was revealed that matrix stiffening, coupled with the inclusion of cancer-associated fibroblast induced the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype (EMT) in pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, fast-relaxing hydrogels promoted cancer cell survival, growth, and EMT via engaging integrin β-1 (ITGB1). Blocking of ITGB1 receptors diminished cell growth, however, cells in fast-relaxing gels upregulated SNAIL1, a biomarker of poor cancer prognosis. Collectively, results from these studies describe our recent progress in understanding the mechanism by which stiff and viscoelastic substrates facilitate cancer development and how cellular functions can be controlled via modulating cell receptor-matrix binding.</p>

Introdução: O adenocarcinoma pancreático é responsável pela maioria das neoplasias pancreáticas e está associado a um prognóstico extremamente pobre tanto devido à alta taxa de diagnósticos em estágio avançado quanto ao elevado índice de recidiva mesmo nos pacientes submetidos à ressecção com intenção curativa. Uma ferramenta que possa predizer adequadamente o prognóstico da doença é fundamental para uma melhor estratificação de risco. Evidências tem mostrado que a resposta inflamatória sistêmica está associada ao prognóstico de diversos tipos de câncer, sendo que a razão neutrófilos/linfócitos (NLR) e suas adaptações e a razão plaquetas/linfócitos (PLR) tem se mostrado promissores para este fim. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o valor prognóstico das razões NLR, NLR derivada (dNLR) e PLR determinados por exames coletados no momento da internação e após tratamento quimioterápico paliativo numa população de pacientes com diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma pancreático, analisando ainda qual o valor de ponto de corte mais adequado para cada parâmetro. Além disso, pretendemos investigar se essas razões podem ter algum valor como fator preditivo de ressecabilidade no adenocarcinoma pancreático. Métodos: Foram coletados dados de pacientes com diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma pancreático confirmado por exame histopatológico atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre entre 2003 e 2013. As razões estudadas foram determinadas com base nos hemogramas coletados na internação dos pacientes e após dois ciclos de quimioterapia naqueles que foram submetidos a tratamento paliativo. Resultados: Na análise combinada de todos os pacientes incluídos no estudo, NLR basal, dNLR basal e PLR basal não mostraram evidência de ter impacto prognóstico na sobrevida (P= 0,394, P= 0,152, P= 0,177 respectivamente). No subgrupo de pacientes submetidos a quimioterapia paliativa, NLR, dNLR e PLR calculados pelos exames realizados após 2 ciclos de tratamento mostraram-se fatores prognósticos para sobrevida global (P=0,003, P=0,009 e P=0,001 respectivamente). Os pontos de corte mais adequados encontrados foram 4,11 para NLR (sensibilidade 83% e especificidade 75%), 362 para PLR (sensibilidade 91% e especificidade 62,5%) e 2,8 para dNLR (sensibilidade 87% e especificidade 62,5%). Nenhuma das razões se mostrou estatisticamente significativa como preditor para ressecabilidade (NLR, P=0,88; dNLR, P=0,99; PLR, P=0,64). Conclusões: As razões NLR, dNLR e PLR são úteis como marcadores prognósticos de sobrevida global em pacientes com adenocarcinoma pancreático submetidos a quimioterapia paliativa. Seu uso como preditor de ressecabilidade das lesões pancreáticas não foi demonstrado. / Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is responsible for most of the pancreatic neoplasias and it is associated to an extremely poor prognosis due to diagnosis in advanced stage and the recurrence even among patients treated with curative intention. A prognostic tool is essential for a better risk stratification. Evidence has shown that systemic inflammatory response is associated to the prognosis of a variety of cancers and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and adaptations and the platelet/lymphocyte (PLR) ratio seem promising for this purpose. Objetive: The objective of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR, derived NLR (dNLR) and PLR determined by blood counts collected at hospital admission and after palliative chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, analyzing the ideal cutoff value for each parameter. Also, we intend to investigate if those ratios have some role in predicting the resectability of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: Data were collected of patients who had diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma confirmed by histopathologic exam in Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 2003 and 2013. The studied ratios were determined by blood counts collected at hospital admission and after two cycles of chemotherapy in patients submitted to palliative treatment. Results: In the combined analysis including all patients, basal NLR, dNLR and PLR did not have prognostic impact in overall survival (P=0,394, P=0,152, P=0,177 respectively). In subgroup analysis of patients submitted to palliative chemotherapy, NLR, dNLR and PLR determined by blood count collected after two cycles of chemotherapy were prognostic for overall survival (P=0,003, P=0,009, P=0,001 respectively). The ideal cutoff values found were 4,11 for NLR (sensibility 83%, specificity 75%), 2,8 for dNLR (sensibility 87%, specificity 62,5%) and 362 for PLR (sensibility 91%, specificity 62,5%). None of these ratios has shown to be able to predict resectability (NLR, P=0,88; dNLR, P=0,99; PLR, P=0,64). Conclusions: NLR, dNLR and PLR are useful as prognostic markers of overall survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma submitted to palliative chemotherapy. Its use as resectability predictor could not be demonstrated.

O adenocarcinoma de ducto pancreático é reconhecido mundialmente como uma doença extremamente agressiva a qual apresenta um prognóstico desfavorável para pacientes sem cirurgia de ressecção. Portanto, é fundamental ampliar o conhecimento sobre os mecanismos biológicos envolvidos no câncer pancreático a fim de permitir a identificação de marcadores moleculares e alvos terapêuticos com o intuito de melhorar o diagnóstico precoce e tratamento. Os fatores de transcrição, reconhecidos por serem os efetores finais de vias de sinalização, regulam diversas funções celulares e, alterações na expressão transcricional destes podem contribuir para a transformação celular bem como para a progressão tumoral. Assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi identificar os reguladores mestres da transcrição, possivelmente envolvidos no câncer pancreático. Para tanto, utilizamos dados de microarranjos para associar os reguladores mestres com o fenótipo tumoral. As análises foram realizadas no ambiente estatístico R utilizando os pacotes RTN, Limma e Survival. O gene TULP3 foi identificado como um regulador mestre da transcrição em amostras de câncer pancreático. O valor prognóstico de TULP3 foi verificado através de análises de sobrevivência em três coortes independentes. Estas análises revelaram que pacientes com adenocarcinoma pancreático, exibindo altos níveis de expressão do gene TULP3, apresentam uma sobrevida global desfavorável. Os altos níveis transcricionais de TULP3 podem desempenhar um papel fundamental na progressão do adenocarcinoma pancreático e conduzir a um resultado clínico desfavorável. Contudo, este estudo destaca a potencial aplicação de TULP3 como um biomarcador de prognóstico clínico para pacientes com adenocarcinoma pancreático. / Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is world-wide recognized as an aggressive disease with poor prognosis in patients who did not undergo resection. Efforts to better comprehend the biological mechanisms of pancreatic cancer are needed to enable the identification of novel molecular markers and therapeutic targets for improving early diagnosis and treatment. Transcription factors are the final effectors of signaling pathways and regulate a number of cellular functions. Changes in expression of transcription factors may contribute to cellular transformation and tumor progression. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify transcriptional master regulators potentially involved in pancreatic cancer disease. To achieve this goal, we utilized microarray data to associate master regulators with tumor phenotype. Analyses were performed with RTN, Limma, and Survival packages at R environment. We identified TULP3 as a master regulator of transcription in pancreatic cancer samples. TULP3 prognostic value was accessed in three independent cohort analyses. Our data demonstrate that patients with pancreatic cancer, exhibiting high TULP3 transcriptional levels, show a poor overall survival. High levels of TULP3 expression may play an essential role in pancreatic cancer progression and lead to poor clinical outcome. Our results highlight the potential use of TULP3 as a clinical prognostic biomarker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Serum levels of several molecules associated to pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) pathophysiology are evaluated in this work, in order to determine their diagnostic value, distinguishing between PDAC patients and healthy controls (HC), different gastrointestinal tumours (GIT) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Plasma mRNA levels in plasma of sialyltransferases (ST3Gal III and ST3Gal IV) could differentiate between HC and PDAC. Moreover, lower levels of ST3Gal III in early stages of PDAC compared to PDAC advanced stages were reported. The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), inflammatory response quantification, differentiated between all the study groups. IGF-1 levels were lower in neoplasic groups of patient vs HC and CP. We assessed the diagnostic capacity of different markers alone or in combination and compared with that of CA 19.9. The best diagnostic capacity was found combining CEA, CA 19.9 and IGF-1 compared with CA 19.9 and it could be useful to distinguish PDAC from CP. / En este trabajo se analizan distintos parámetros séricos relacionados con la fisiopatología del adenocarcinoma pancreático (PDAC), para evaluar su uso como marcadores que permitan distinguir entre pacientes con PDAC y controles sanos (C), otras neoplasias del tracto gastrointestinal (ONEOS) y pancreatitis crónica (PC). La expresión en plasma de sialiltransferasas, ST3Gal III y ST3Gal IV diferencia entre controles y PDAC. Así mismo, los niveles de ST3Gal III permiten diferenciar en PDAC entre estadíos iniciales y metastáticos. El Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), medida de la respuesta inflamatoria, diferencia entre todos los grupos del estudio. Los valores de IGF-1 disminuyen en procesos neoplásicos vs C y PC.Se analiza la capacidad diagnóstica de los distintos parámetros individualmente y combinados entre sí respecto al CA19.9. La combinación de CA 19.9, CEA, IGF-1 aumenta la precisión diagnóstica frente al CA19.9 y podría ser útil para distinguir PDAC de PC.

Introdução: O adenocarcinoma pancreático é responsável pela maioria das neoplasias pancreáticas e está associado a um prognóstico extremamente pobre tanto devido à alta taxa de diagnósticos em estágio avançado quanto ao elevado índice de recidiva mesmo nos pacientes submetidos à ressecção com intenção curativa. Uma ferramenta que possa predizer adequadamente o prognóstico da doença é fundamental para uma melhor estratificação de risco. Evidências tem mostrado que a resposta inflamatória sistêmica está associada ao prognóstico de diversos tipos de câncer, sendo que a razão neutrófilos/linfócitos (NLR) e suas adaptações e a razão plaquetas/linfócitos (PLR) tem se mostrado promissores para este fim. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o valor prognóstico das razões NLR, NLR derivada (dNLR) e PLR determinados por exames coletados no momento da internação e após tratamento quimioterápico paliativo numa população de pacientes com diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma pancreático, analisando ainda qual o valor de ponto de corte mais adequado para cada parâmetro. Além disso, pretendemos investigar se essas razões podem ter algum valor como fator preditivo de ressecabilidade no adenocarcinoma pancreático. Métodos: Foram coletados dados de pacientes com diagnóstico de adenocarcinoma pancreático confirmado por exame histopatológico atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre entre 2003 e 2013. As razões estudadas foram determinadas com base nos hemogramas coletados na internação dos pacientes e após dois ciclos de quimioterapia naqueles que foram submetidos a tratamento paliativo. Resultados: Na análise combinada de todos os pacientes incluídos no estudo, NLR basal, dNLR basal e PLR basal não mostraram evidência de ter impacto prognóstico na sobrevida (P= 0,394, P= 0,152, P= 0,177 respectivamente). No subgrupo de pacientes submetidos a quimioterapia paliativa, NLR, dNLR e PLR calculados pelos exames realizados após 2 ciclos de tratamento mostraram-se fatores prognósticos para sobrevida global (P=0,003, P=0,009 e P=0,001 respectivamente). Os pontos de corte mais adequados encontrados foram 4,11 para NLR (sensibilidade 83% e especificidade 75%), 362 para PLR (sensibilidade 91% e especificidade 62,5%) e 2,8 para dNLR (sensibilidade 87% e especificidade 62,5%). Nenhuma das razões se mostrou estatisticamente significativa como preditor para ressecabilidade (NLR, P=0,88; dNLR, P=0,99; PLR, P=0,64). Conclusões: As razões NLR, dNLR e PLR são úteis como marcadores prognósticos de sobrevida global em pacientes com adenocarcinoma pancreático submetidos a quimioterapia paliativa. Seu uso como preditor de ressecabilidade das lesões pancreáticas não foi demonstrado. / Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is responsible for most of the pancreatic neoplasias and it is associated to an extremely poor prognosis due to diagnosis in advanced stage and the recurrence even among patients treated with curative intention. A prognostic tool is essential for a better risk stratification. Evidence has shown that systemic inflammatory response is associated to the prognosis of a variety of cancers and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and adaptations and the platelet/lymphocyte (PLR) ratio seem promising for this purpose. Objetive: The objective of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of NLR, derived NLR (dNLR) and PLR determined by blood counts collected at hospital admission and after palliative chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, analyzing the ideal cutoff value for each parameter. Also, we intend to investigate if those ratios have some role in predicting the resectability of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: Data were collected of patients who had diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma confirmed by histopathologic exam in Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 2003 and 2013. The studied ratios were determined by blood counts collected at hospital admission and after two cycles of chemotherapy in patients submitted to palliative treatment. Results: In the combined analysis including all patients, basal NLR, dNLR and PLR did not have prognostic impact in overall survival (P=0,394, P=0,152, P=0,177 respectively). In subgroup analysis of patients submitted to palliative chemotherapy, NLR, dNLR and PLR determined by blood count collected after two cycles of chemotherapy were prognostic for overall survival (P=0,003, P=0,009, P=0,001 respectively). The ideal cutoff values found were 4,11 for NLR (sensibility 83%, specificity 75%), 2,8 for dNLR (sensibility 87%, specificity 62,5%) and 362 for PLR (sensibility 91%, specificity 62,5%). None of these ratios has shown to be able to predict resectability (NLR, P=0,88; dNLR, P=0,99; PLR, P=0,64). Conclusions: NLR, dNLR and PLR are useful as prognostic markers of overall survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma submitted to palliative chemotherapy. Its use as resectability predictor could not be demonstrated.

NV669 est un aminosterol dérivé de la squalamine qui a montré posséder des propriétés anti-cancéreuses. L'objectif de cette étude a été de rechercher les effets bénéfiques de NV669 sur des modèles de cancers humains pancréatiques et hépatiques et de comprendre les mécanismes cellulaires et moléculaires impliqués dans la diminution de la croissance tumorale par le traitement avec NV669. Les lignées cellulaires humaines pancréatiques (BxPC3 et MiaPaca-2) et hépatiques (HepG2 et Huh7) ont été traitées avec NV669 à différentes concentrations et à différents temps. Les résultats ont montré que NV669 inhibe la prolifération des cellules cancéreuses en induisant l'arrêt du cycle cellulaire en phase G2/M via le complexe cycline B1/Cdk1 et en induisant l'apoptose via le clivage de la caspase-8 et de PARP-1, et la fragmentation de l’ADN.De plus, nos recherches in vitro ont révélé que NV669 inhibe l’activité phosphatase de PTP1B et l’expression de FAK. NV669 affecte l’expression des molécules d’adhérence CDH-1, -2 et -3 dans les lignées BxPC3 et Huh7 qui forment des monocouches cellulaires. Cela suggère qu’en inhibant PTP1B, NV669 induirait l’apoptose.Par la suite, nos résultats in vivo ont montré que NV669 inhibe la croissance des xénogreffes pancréatiques et hépatiques tumorales avec une diminution significative de la prolifération cellulaire et une augmentation de l'apoptose des cellules tumorales. Par conséquent, nos recherches suggèrent que l’analogue de la squalamine, NV669, pourrait être un agent anti cancéreux, utilisé seul ou en association avec d’autres médicaments, dans le traitement de l’adénocarcinome pancréatique et du carcinome hépatocellulaire. / NV669 is an aminosterol derived from squalamine found to possess strong antiangiogenic and anticancer effects. The aim of this study was to investigate NV669’s beneficial effects on human pancreatic and hepatic cancer models and to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in tumor growth decrease upon treatment with NV669.Pancreatic (BxPC3, MiaPaCa-2) and hepatic (HepG2, Huh7) cancer cells were treated with NV669, and the effects on proliferation, on cell cycle and death were determined. The results showed that NV669 inhibited the viability of cancer cells, induced cell cycle arrest through the regulation of G2/M phase via a decrease in the expression of cyclin B1 and phosphorylated Cdk1 and the induction of apoptosis via cleaved caspase-8 and PARP-1 and fragmented DNA. Moreover, in vitro NV669 inhibits PTP1B activity and FAK expression. NV669 impacts on the expression of adhesion molecules CDH-1, -2 and -3 in BxPC3 and Huh7 lines that form cell monolayers. This suggests that NV669 by inhibiting PTP1B would induce apoptosis. Subsequently, our in vivo results showed that NV669 inhibited the growth of pancreatic and hepatic tumor xenografts with a significant decrease in proliferation cell and an increase of tumor cell apoptosis. Therefore, NV669 may serve as an alternative anticancer agent, used alone or in association with other medications, for the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.