Pancreatic Cancer Research

ResearcherHarvard UniversityActive in the last 2 years

Rolf A. Brekken

ORCID-verified (high confidence, 0.95), identity_conf@1As of 7 November 2026

Matched on ORCID iD 0000-0003-2704-2377; OpenAlex author ID A5089104361. Sources: OpenAlex.

Their work

Papers
47 (first author 7, last author 18)
Trials
0
Grants
0
Labs led
1
Collaborators
110
Papers, trials and grants by year

2011: 2 papers · 2012: 2 papers · 2013: 2 papers · 2014: 2 papers · 2015: 6 papers · 2016: 3 papers · 2017: 2 papers · 2018: 2 papers · 2019: 7 papers · 2020: 6 papers · 2021: 3 papers · 2022: 5 papers · 2023: none · 2024: 2 papers · 2025: 2 papers · 2026: 1 paper

Papers 47

  1. ANO6-mediated trogocytosis of cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth and immune suppression. Co-author DOI 10.1038/s43018-026-01265-5↗
  2. Paracrine regulation of pancreatic cancer cell response to chemotherapy by GLI2-collagen I signaling. Co-author DOI 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110311↗
  3. SMAD4 Deficiency Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Confers Susceptibility to TGFβ Inhibition. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-24-1970↗
  4. Retraction Note: Hypoxia-induced autophagy of stellate cells inhibits expression and secretion of lumican into microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarci… Co-author DOI 10.1038/s41418-024-01387-2↗
  5. Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Co-author DOI 10.3390/ijms25126619↗
  6. Mesothelial cell-derived antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts induce expansion of regulatory T cells in pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.1016/j.ccell.2022.04.011↗
  7. AXL Inhibitor TP-0903 Reduces Metastasis and Therapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0293↗
  8. MYC Levels Regulate Metastatic Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Co-author DOI 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1826↗
  9. Targeting TNF-α-producing macrophages activates antitumor immunity in pancreatic cancer via IL-33 signaling. Co-author DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.153242↗
  10. Axon guidance receptor ROBO3 modulates subtype identity and prognosis via AXL-associated inflammatory network in pancreatic cancer. Co-author DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.154475↗
  11. AXL Is a Key Factor for Cell Plasticity and Promotes Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0860↗
  12. DDR1-induced neutrophil extracellular traps drive pancreatic cancer metastasis. Co-author DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.146133↗
  13. CXCL12 in Pancreatic Cancer: Its Function and Potential as a Therapeutic Drug Target. Co-author DOI 10.3390/cancers14010086↗
  14. Targeting TAM to Tame Pancreatic Cancer. Co-author DOI 10.1007/s11523-020-00751-9↗
  15. Beyond Stiffness: Collagen Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer and Pancreas Regeneration. First author DOI 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.05.005↗
  16. Pancreatic cancer stroma: an update on therapeutic targeting strategies. First author DOI 10.1038/s41575-020-0300-1↗
  17. Concerted cell and in vivo screen for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) chemotherapeutics. Co-author DOI 10.1038/s41598-020-77373-8↗
  18. Recent advances in understanding cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer. First author DOI 10.1152/ajpcell.00079.2020↗
  19. Loss of BAP1 Leads to More YAPing in Pancreatic Cancer. Co-author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-0592↗
  20. Hypoxia-induced autophagy of stellate cells inhibits expression and secretion of lumican into microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Co-author DOI 10.1038/s41418-018-0207-3↗
  21. The Next Wave of Stroma-Targeting Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer. First author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-3751↗
  22. Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition Potentiates the Efficacy of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Blockade and Promotes an Immune Stimulatory Microenvironment in Prec… Last author DOI 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0427↗
  23. Axl-mediated activation of TBK1 drives epithelial plasticity in pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.126117↗
  24. Cellular heterogeneity during mouse pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression at single-cell resolution. Last author DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.129212↗
  25. Targeting TGFβR2-mutant tumors exposes vulnerabilities to stromal TGFβ blockade in pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.15252/emmm.201910515↗
  26. Human pancreatic cancer cell exosomes, but not human normal cell exosomes, act as an initiator in cell transformation. Co-author DOI 10.7554/elife.40226↗
  27. Does Axl have potential as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer? First author DOI 10.1080/14728222.2018.1527315↗
  28. Small-Molecule Inhibition of Axl Targets Tumor Immune Suppression and Enhances Chemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-1973↗
  29. Preclinical Evaluation of Sequential Combination of Oncolytic Adenovirus Delta-24-RGD and Phosphatidylserine-Targeting Antibody in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarci… Co-author DOI 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0526↗
  30. Inhibition of Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 Reduces Collagen-mediated Tumorigenicity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Last author DOI 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0834↗
  31. Matrix control of pancreatic cancer: New insights into fibronectin signaling. First author DOI 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.12.027↗
  32. Hypoxia and Transforming Growth Factor β Cooperate to Induce Fibulin-5 Expression in Pancreatic Cancer. Last author DOI 10.1074/jbc.m116.730945↗
  33. Tris DBA palladium is highly effective against growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer in an orthotopic model. Co-author DOI 10.18632/oncotarget.10514↗
  34. Nintedanib, a triple angiokinase inhibitor, enhances cytotoxic therapy response in pancreatic cancer. Co-author DOI 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.12.027↗
  35. NAMPT inhibition sensitizes pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells to tumor-selective, PAR-independent metabolic catastrophe and cell death induced by β-lapachone. Co-author DOI 10.1038/cddis.2014.564↗
  36. Warfarin Blocks Gas6-Mediated Axl Activation Required for Pancreatic Cancer Epithelial Plasticity and Metastasis. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-2887-t↗
  37. Fibulin-5 Blocks Microenvironmental ROS in Pancreatic Cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-0744↗
  38. A rapid in vivo screen for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapeutics. Co-author DOI 10.1242/dmm.020933↗
  39. Stromal TGFβR2 signaling: a gateway to progression for pancreatic cancer. First author DOI 10.4161/23723556.2014.975606↗
  40. Neutralizing murine TGFβR2 promotes a differentiated tumor cell phenotype and inhibits pancreatic cancer metastasis. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-13-1807↗
  41. Collagen signaling enhances tumor progression after anti-VEGF therapy in a murine model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Last author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-13-2800↗
  42. BIBF 1120 (nintedanib), a triple angiokinase inhibitor, induces hypoxia but not EMT and blocks progression of preclinical models of lung and pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-0995↗
  43. PG545, an angiogenesis and heparanase inhibitor, reduces primary tumor growth and metastasis in experimental pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-1123↗
  44. TGF-β and αvβ6 integrin act in a common pathway to suppress pancreatic cancer progression. Co-author DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-0634↗
  45. Apricoxib, a novel inhibitor of COX-2, markedly improves standard therapy response in molecularly defined models of pancreatic cancer. Last author DOI 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-12-0453↗
  46. Modulating endogenous NQO1 levels identifies key regulatory mechanisms of action of β-lapachone for pancreatic cancer therapy. Co-author DOI 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-1983↗
  47. Smac mimetic-derived augmentation of chemotherapeutic response in experimental pancreatic cancer. Co-author DOI 10.1186/1471-2407-11-15↗

Closest collaborators

The 25 strongest of 110 by collab_strength@1: shared papers, trials and grants, recent and small-team work weighing most.

  1. Huocong Huang · 16 shared papers, 2017–2025 · strength 2.42
  2. Jason B. Fleming · 6 shared papers, 2017–2025 · strength 0.75
  3. Wenting Du · 7 shared papers, 2017–2021 · strength 0.73
  4. Eugene Jon Koay · 4 shared papers, 2019–2024 · strength 0.50
  5. Xinqun Li · 4 shared papers, 2017–2024 · strength 0.49
  6. Ya’an Kang · 4 shared papers, 2017–2024 · strength 0.49
  7. Thomas Martin Wilkie · 4 shared papers, 2015–2024 · strength 0.43
  8. Michael P. Kim · 3 shared papers, 2019–2024 · strength 0.42
  9. Mary Topalovski · 5 shared papers, 2014–2018 · strength 0.37
  10. Mayrim V. Rios Perez · 3 shared papers, 2017–2024 · strength 0.37
  11. Abdel Nasser Hosein · 3 shared papers, 2019–2020 · strength 0.36
  12. Anirban Maitra · 3 shared papers, 2018–2020 · strength 0.35
  13. Yuqing Zhang · 3 shared papers, 2019–2022 · strength 0.35
  14. Gilbert Zvikomborero Murimwa · 2 shared papers, 2022–2025 · strength 0.34
  15. Francis J. Burrows · 3 shared papers, 2012–2021 · strength 0.33
  16. Yalda Zolghadri · 3 shared papers, 2015–2024 · strength 0.31
  17. Yeon‐Ju Lee · 2 shared papers, 2019–2024 · strength 0.30
  18. Moriah M. Hagopian · 4 shared papers, 2014–2019 · strength 0.28
  19. Bingbing Dai · 3 shared papers, 2017–2021 · strength 0.28
  20. Havish Sairaju Kantheti · 2 shared papers, 2020–2024 · strength 0.26
  21. Muhammad Shaalan Beg · 2 shared papers, 2020–2021 · strength 0.26
  22. Ravikanth Maddipati · 2 shared papers, 2022 · strength 0.24
  23. Victoria H. Cruz · 3 shared papers, 2015–2019 · strength 0.24
  24. Katherine T. Ostapoff · 5 shared papers, 2012–2016 · strength 0.22
  25. Renzo Emanuel Vera · 1 shared paper, 2025 · strength 0.22

How to reach this person

A chain of introductions through people who have published, run trials or held grants together (warm_path@1: fewest links first, then the strongest). Built from public records only; no contact details are kept.