Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roman Bubin, Romans Uljanovs, Ilze Strumfa
Summary: The discovery of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in leukemia has led to active research on stemness in neoplastic tissues. CSCs are a subpopulation of malignant cells with unique properties, including a dedifferentiated state, self-renewal, pluripotency, resistance to therapy, epigenetic alterations, and higher tumorigenicity. CSCs have been confirmed in various malignancies, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which has a poor prognosis. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the markers and molecular features of CSCs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the therapeutic options for their elimination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Mortoglou, Francesc Miralles, Elif Damla Arisan, Alwyn Dart, Stipo Jurcevic, Sigrun Lange, Pinar Uysal-Onganer
Summary: This study investigated the role of miR-21 in cancer stem cells (CSCs) and its association with the aggressiveness of PDAC. Knockout of miR-21 resulted in reversed expressions of CSC markers and suppressed cellular invasion and proliferation. These findings suggest that miR-21 is involved in the stemness of PDAC cells, may play roles in mesenchymal transition, and serves as a novel functional biomarker for PDAC aggressiveness.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Hannah Pook, Siim Pauklin
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is highly deadly, with current treatments facing various challenges such as late diagnosis, immunologically cold phenotype, and difficulty in distinguishing beneficial drug targets. Recent progress includes identifying mFOLFIRINOX as a standard-of-care adjuvant therapy and discovering KRAS(G12C) mutant inhibitors, with promising new approaches targeting the tumor microenvironment, enhancing immunotherapies, epigenetic modulation, and destruction of CSCs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benedetta Ferrara, Erica Dugnani, Valeria Sordi, Valentina Pasquale, Silvia Pellegrini, Michele Reni, Gianpaolo Balzano, Lorenzo Piemonti
Summary: This study aims to provide a comprehensive characterization of stemness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. The expression of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in 17 cell lines was evaluated. The study found that a higher degree of stemness was associated with in vivo tumorigenicity, but not with in vitro growth kinetics, clonogenicity, and chemo-resistance. In addition, the degree of stemness was associated with the expression of specific genes and the secretion of specific proteins.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Urbanova, Verona Buocikova, Lenka Trnkova, Sabina Strapcova, Viera Horvathova Kajabova, Emma Barreto Melian, Maria Novisedlakova, Miroslav Tomas, Peter Dubovan, Julie Earl, Jozef Bizik, Eliska Svastova, Sona Ciernikova, Bozena Smolkova
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by severe hypoxia, and DNA methylation plays an important role in PDAC aggressiveness and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Inhibiting DNA methylation can reactivate silenced genes and potentially be targeted for PDAC progression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gitika Thakur, Raj Kumar, Saet-Byul Kim, Sang-Yeob Lee, Sung-Lim Lee, Gyu-Jin Rho
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a severe and devastating disease, with the main factor contributing to tumor development and resistance being pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs). Stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are considered influential anti-cancer agents that control the pancreatic tumor microenvironment through anti-inflammatory actions and activation of host immune cells.
Review
Cell Biology
Tianyi Zhang, Yanxian Ren, Pengfei Yang, Jufang Wang, Heng Zhou
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly cancer with a high deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and poor prognosis. ECM proteins derived from tumor cells reduce the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatment and contribute to tumor progression and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the ECM are promising targets for novel anti-tumor interventions.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Vida Karimnia, Frank J. Slack, Jonathan P. Celli
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly cancer with current clinical trials showing limited improvements in patient survival. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a potential approach for treating pancreatic tumors based on studies indicating its effectiveness in activating photosensitizing agents in target tissues.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. Paige Ferguson, Jovylyn Gatchalian, Matthew L. McDermott, Mari Nakamura, Kendall Chambers, Nirakar Rajbhandari, Nikki K. Lytle, Sara Brin Rosenthal, Michael Hamilton, Sonia Albini, Martin Wartenberg, Inti Zlobec, Jose A. Galvan, Eva Karamitopoulou, Vera Vavinskaya, Alexis Wascher, Andrew M. Lowy, Christian M. Schuerch, Pier Lorenzo Puri, Benoit G. Bruneau, Diana C. Hargreaves, Tannishtha Reya
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is highly resistant to traditional therapies, posing challenges for clinical management. Researchers have identified SMARCD3 as an epigenetic regulator that plays a role in pancreatic cancer stem cells. SMARCD3, although often considered a tumor suppressor, is amplified in cancer and enriched in pancreatic cancer stem cells. Deletion of Smarcd3 improves survival in established tumors, particularly when combined with chemotherapy, and it acts in conjunction with FOXA1 to regulate lipid metabolism, which is associated with therapy resistance and poor prognosis in cancer.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Theodore Evan, Victoria Min-Yi Wang, Axel Behrens
Summary: Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) is an important focus of cancer research, referring to the variation of cancer cells that contribute to tumour evolution, progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Not only genetically encoded, the phenotypic heterogeneity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is also influenced by the complex tumour microenvironment and interactions between tumour and stromal cells. This review discusses different types of phenotypic heterogeneity in PDAC and highlights recent findings on how therapeutic efforts can target and limit cellular heterogeneity to halt PDAC progression.
Review
Oncology
Ricki T. Krog, Noel F. C. C. de Miranda, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, Nigel G. Kooreman
Summary: This review explores the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in generating representative pancreatic cancer models and as potential vaccines or cellular therapy options. Despite minimal impact of current treatment options on patient survival rates, iPSCs hold promise in advancing the treatment of pancreatic cancer by providing in vitro models and personalized immunotherapies.
Article
Oncology
Hong Pan, Huanrong Diao, Wen Zhong, Taifang Wang, Ping Wen, Chunli Wu
Summary: PDAC is a highly devastating disease with poor prognosis and rising incidence worldwide. By analyzing the cellular composition of PDAC tumors, researchers found heterogeneity in cancer cells, dividing them into different subclusters with one cluster prominently contributed by metastatic PDAC cells, suggesting a critical role in tumor metastasis. Further analysis revealed potential therapeutic targets in these subclusters, providing a potential strategy for the treatment of cancer.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Kostas Palamaris, Evangelos Felekouras, Stratigoula Sakellariou
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly malignancy characterized by aggressive behavior and resistance to chemotherapy, with emerging evidence pointing to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a key driver of disease progression and drug resistance. EMT allows cancer cells to transition to a more mesenchymal state, contributing to tumor dissemination and chemoresistance in PDAC.
Review
Oncology
Yang Wu, Chun Zhang, Kuirong Jiang, Jens Werner, Alexandr V. Bazhin, Jan G. D'Haese
Summary: PDAC progression is influenced by PSCs, which through interactions with PCCs and other stroma cells, establish a tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Targeting stroma has emerged as a promising strategy for PDAC therapy, with several novel strategies proposed to intervene in this complex crosstalk.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Francesca Bianchi, Michele Sommariva, Laura Brigida Cornaghi, Luca Denti, Ambra Nava, Francesca Arnaboldi, Claudia Moscheni, Nicoletta Gagliano
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between YAP and mechanical cues in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. It was found that the YAP/p-YAP ratio decreased in PDAC cell lines cultured in a 3D environment, and the expression of CTGF and CYR61 genes was down-regulated. However, inhibition of actin cytoskeleton did not have a significant effect on CTGF and CYR61 expression.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Neha Chopra, Braham Dutt Arya, Namrata Jain, Poonam Yadav, Saima Wajid, Surinder P. Singh, Sangeeta Choudhury
Editorial Material
Oncology
Yashika Charla, Manas Kalra, Neha Chopra, Sangeeta Choudhury
PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Rizwana Hasan, Sudeep Bose, Rahul Roy, Debarati Paul, Saumitra Rawat, Pravin Nilwe, Neeraj K. Chauhan, Sangeeta Choudhury
Summary: This study investigated the microbial signature in tumor tissues from North Indian CRC patients. The results showed a decreased diversity among the tumor-associated microbial communities and differential expression of Proteobacteria at the phyla level. Four distinct species were identified only in CRC tissues. The findings suggest that microbial signatures can be used as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment management of CRC.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)