Homeostasis is a fundamental property of living organisms enabling the human body to withstand internal and external insults. In several chronic diseases, and especially in cancer, many homeostatic mechanisms are deranged. Pancreatic cancer in particular is notorious for its ability to invoke an intense fibroinflammatory stromal reaction facilitating its progression and resistance to treatment. In the past decade, several seminal discoveries have elucidated previously unrecognized modes of commandeering the host’s defense systems. Here we review novel discoveries in pancreatic cancer immunobiology and attempt to integrate the notion of deranged homeostasis in the pathogenesis of this disease. We also highlight areas of controversy and obstacles that need to be overcome, hoping to further our mechanistic insight into this malignancy.

稳态是生物体的基本特性，使人体能够承受内部和外部的伤害。在几种慢性疾病中，尤其是在癌症中，许多稳态机制失调。尤其是胰腺癌，因其引起强烈的纤维炎性基质反应的能力而臭名昭著，从而促进其进展和对治疗的抵抗力。在过去的十年中，几项开创性的发现阐明了以前无法识别的指挥主机防御系统的模式。在这里，我们回顾胰腺癌免疫生物学中的新发现，并尝试在这种疾病的发病机理中整合失衡的稳态。我们还将重点介绍有争议的领域和需要克服的障碍，希望进一步了解这种恶性肿瘤的机理。