A peritumoral microenvironment engaged by Reg-EXTL3 axis fosters nerve-cancer interactions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
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Reg-EXTL3 axis promotes nerve-cancer interactions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, with silencing reducing tumor progression and pain in mice.
- Why it matters: Understanding how tumor innervation and perineural invasion contribute to PDAC aggressiveness and pain is crucial for developing targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes.
- What they did: The study examined the role of Reg proteins secreted by peritumoral cells, their receptor EXTL3, and downstream TGF-β signaling in mice and clinical samples, involving genetic silencing and correlation analyses.
- The result: Disrupting the Reg-EXTL3 pathway decreased nerve-cancer interactions, tumor growth, and pain, highlighting this axis as a promising target for therapies aimed at alleviating neural-related complications in PDAC.