Stromal Microenvironment Shapes the Intratumoral Architecture of Pancreatic Cancer

Single-cell technologies have described heterogeneity across tissues, but the spatial distribution and forces that drive single-cell phenotypes have not been well defined. Combining single-cell RNA and protein analytics in studying the role of stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in modulating heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [PDAC]) model systems, we have identified significant single-cell population shifts toward invasive epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proliferative (PRO) phenotypes linked with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling. Using high-content digital imaging of RNA…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• HH
  Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• BW
  Burroughs Wellcome Fund
• BC
  Breast Cancer Research Foundation
• VF
  V Foundation for Cancer Research
• NF
  National Foundation for Cancer Research
• HF
  Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
• AC
  American-Italian Cancer Foundation
• LF
  Lustgarten Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: U01CA214297, 2R01CA129933, U01 CA215798, 2U01EB012493, T32GM007753
• SU
  Stand Up To Cancer
• NC
  National Cancer Institute

  Award: U01CA215798