Transforming growth factor beta-induced, an extracellular matrix interacting protein, enhances glycolysis and promotes pancreatic cancer cell migration

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a deadly malignancy with no efficient therapy available up-to-date. Glycolysis is the main provider of energetic substrates to sustain cancer dissemination of PDAC. Accordingly, altering the glycolytic pathway is foreseen as a sound approach to trigger pancreatic cancer regression. Here, we show for the first time that high transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI) expression in PDAC patients is associated with a poor outcome. We demonstrate that, although usually secreted by stromal cells, PDAC cells synthesize and secrete TGFBI in quantity correlated with their migratory capacity. Mechanistically, we show that TGFBI activates focal adhesion kinase signaling pathway through its binding to integrin alpha V beta 5, leading to a significant enhancement of glycolysis and to the acquisition of an invasive phenotype. Finally, we show that TGFBI silencing significantly inhibits PDAC tumor development in a chick chorioallantoic membrane assay model. Our study highlights TGFBI as an oncogenic extracellular matrix interacting protein that bears the potential to serve as a target for new anti-PDAC therapeutic strategies.