Resident tissue macrophages transfer selenium transporter protein to protect pancreatic cancer from ferroptosis.

Resident tissue macrophages transfer selenium transporter Selenop to EMT-high tumor cells, promoting pancreatic cancer progression by preventing ferroptosis.

• Why it matters: Understanding how immune cells support tumor growth can reveal new therapeutic targets, especially since pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has limited treatment options and poor outcomes.
• What they did: Using single-cell profiling, spatial analysis, lineage tracing, and selenium tracing, the study identified that RTMs localize at the tumor border and transfer Selenop via LRP8-dependent uptake to tumor cells.
• The result: This transfer increases tumor-cell selenium, reduces lipid peroxidation, and shields cells from ferroptosis, suggesting that disrupting RTM-derived selenium transfer could hinder tumor progression.