Cited by 118Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology ResearchCancer Genomics and DiagnosticsCancer Cells and Metastasis

Cell of origin influences pancreatic cancer subtype

Open access
Flowers, Brittany M., Xu, Hang, Mulligan, Abigail S., Hanson, Kathryn J., Seoane, Jose A., Vogel, Hannes, Curtis, Christina, Wood, Laura D. +1 more·2021·Cancer Discovery

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Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 9%. An improved understanding of PDAC initiation and progression is paramount for discovering strategies to better detect and combat this disease. Although transcriptomic analyses have uncovered distinct molecular subtypes of human PDAC, the factors that influence subtype development remain unclear. Here, we interrogate the impact of cell of origin and different Trp53 alleles on tumor evolution, using a panel of tractable genetically engineered mouse models. Oncogenic KRAS expression, coupled with Trp53 deletion or point mutation, drives PDAC from both acinar and ductal cells. Gene-expression analysis reveals further that ductal cell–derived and acinar cell–derived tumor signatures are enriched in basal-like and classical subtypes of human PDAC, respectively. These findings highlight cell of origin as one factor that influences PDAC molecular subtypes and provide insight into the fundamental impact that the very earliest events in carcinogenesis can have on cancer evolution. Significance: Although human PDAC has been classified into different molecular subtypes, the etiology of these distinct subtypes remains unclear. Using mouse genetics, we reveal that cell of origin is an important determinant of PDAC molecular subtype. Deciphering the biology underlying pancreatic cancer subtypes may reveal meaningful distinctions that could improve clinical intervention. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 521

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  • Deletion of Trp53 in the adult ductal lineage leads to rapid development of invasive carcinoma in mice.

    “the deletion of Trp53 leads to the rapid development of invasive carcinoma125–127.”

    From Pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges (2023) · cites this paper as [127]

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  1. [16]Collisson EA, Sadanandam A, Olson P, Gibb WJ, Truitt M, Gu SD, Subtypes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and their differing responses to therapy. Nat Med 2011; 17(4): 500– U140 doi 10.1038/nm.2344. 21460848 PMC3755490 · DOI · Paper page
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Authors
Flowers, B. M., Xu, H., Mulligan, A. S., Hanson, K. J., Seoane, J. A., Vogel, H., Curtis, C., Wood, L. D., & Attardi, L. D.
Affiliations
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • 2Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
Corresponding author
Attardi, Laura D.
Venue
Cancer Discovery
Published
2021-03-01
Volume
11
Issue
3
Pages
660-677
ISSN
  • 2159-8274 (ISSN-L)
  • 2159-8290
OpenAlex
W3135319098
Cited by
118
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14
FWCI
7.09
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cancer Discovery (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • NCI R35 (CA197591)
  • Blavatnik Family Fellowship
  • NIH Director's Pioneer Award (DP1-CA238296)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Keywords
pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, cell of origin, tumor molecular subtypes, Trp53, KRAS, acinar cells, ductal cells, genetically engineered mouse models, basal-like subtype, classical subtype, tumor evolution, carcinogenesis
MeSH terms
Alleles, Animals, Cell Transformation, Neoplastic, Disease Models, Animal, Disease Susceptibility, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Mutation, Oncogenes, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Prognosis, Biomarkers, Tumor, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras), Computational Biology, Gene Expression Profiling, Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal, Mice, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Transcriptome, Acinar Cells

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