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

4 hours ago

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.

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