Gemcitabine uptake and metabolism of cancer associated fibroblasts in murine pancreatic cancer

Background and Aim: Desmoplasia and hypovascularity were shown to impede drug delivery in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we aim to dissect the differential gemcitabine uptake and metabolism in murine cancer cells and fibroblasts. Design: We analysed gemcitabine metabolites in primary murine tumour cells, cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) by LC-MS/MS using a validated protocol. To understand the differential gemcitabine uptake of the various cell types, expression analysis for gemcitabine metabolism pathways was performed in murine cell lines and tissues usi…