Researchers report that pancreatic cancer is not a disorganized mass, but a highly structured system of cooperating cells. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), tumor growth depends on two distinct cell types working together. One group produces growth signals, while the other acts like stem cells that receive those signals and drive tumor expansion.
The study shows these cells form a self-sustaining cycle. Signal-producing cells send WNT signals to stem-like cells, which then multiply and eventually transform into new signal-producing cells. At the same time, a second pathway called Notch helps maintain this balance, ensuring the tumor continues to grow and spread in an organized way.
This discovery opens new treatment possibilities. Instead of only trying to kill cancer cells, therapies could disrupt the communication between them. Blocking key signals like WNT or Notch caused the tumor system to break down in experiments, suggesting a promising new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer.