Immune Cell-Specific and Isoform-Selective Regulation of CD44 in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Links Lymph Node Variant Loss and Exosomal CD44 to Clinical Outcome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinom
5 hours ago
- #Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
- #CD44
- #Exosomes
- CD44 variant isoforms (v4-v10) are significantly reduced in PDAC lymph nodes and associated with metastatic disease and poor survival.
- CD44 expression is enriched in CD45+ immune cells, particularly in CD4+ T cells in lymph nodes and blood.
- Exosomal CD44 (exo-CD44) levels are reduced in PDAC but increased in patients with distant metastasis, systemic inflammation, and poor survival.
- High CD44 expression correlates with advanced disease, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint gene expression, and reduced sensitivity to certain drugs.
- CD44 plays a role in immune remodeling, exosome signaling, and therapeutic resistance in PDAC.