Luminal-basal stratification of the native human pancreatic duct is differentially represented in pancreatic cancers - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #pancreatic cancer
- #spatial transcriptomics
- #duct cell stratification
- The study maps luminal-basal cell stratification in native human pancreatic ducts and its differential representation in pancreatic cancers.
- Two distinct cell populations identified: △Np63+ basal cells (BAS) and △Np63- luminal-B cells (LUM-B), with LUM-B expressing previously unreported MUC4 and MUC16.
- BAS and LUM-B signatures correlate with basal-like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and lower survival, but PDAC shows fragmented native expression patterns.
- Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASCP) preserves LUM-B and BAS identities in a spatially unmixed pattern, unlike PDAC.
- △Np63 drives cell plasticity to BAS, a mechanism conserved from native tissue to cancer, suggesting distinct tumor identities that warrant separate research and therapeutic approaches.