Cancer Research Lab

US researchers have identified a highly tumorigenic subpopulation of pancreatic cancer cells that display the established features of stem cell. A further understanding of these cells could lead to novel treatments for this usually fatal malignancy.

Previous studies have uncovered stem cells for blood, brain, and breast cancers. Until now, however, a stem cell for pancreatic cancer had not been identified.

Dr. Diane M. Simeone, from the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, and colleagues identified cancer stem cells in human pancreatic adenocarcinomas that were grown in immunocompromised mice. The cells, which express CD44, CD24, and ESA surface markers, represent just 0.2 to 0.8% of all pancreatic cancer cells.

Compared with standard pancreatic cancer cells, the stem cells showed a 100-fold increase in tumorigenic potential, according to the report in the February 1st issue of Cancer Research. As few as 100 of the cells were needed to establish a tumor that was indistinguishable from the parent tumor, the report indicates.

As noted, the identified cells displayed the features of standard stem cells, namely the ability to produce differentiated progeny, self-renewal, and increased expression of the sonic hedgehog developmental signaling molecule.

“Over the last one to two decades we have not had a significant improvement in the long-term survival rates with pancreatic cancer. I believe that if we can target cancer stem cells within pancreatic cancer we may have an avenue to really make a breakthrough in therapy for this awful disease,” Dr. Simeone said in a statement.