Tension and Transformation in Pancreas Cancer: Can Phenotype Break Free from the Chrysalis of Genotype?
A recent study finds that impaired TGFβ signaling can initiate a positive feedback loop between increasing ECM stiffness and epithelial cell contractility in pancreas cancer. Even more surprising is the possibility that this phenotype can liberate the epithelium from dependence on the genetic events that transformed it.
Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Christopher C
CC
DuFort
Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: srh@fhcrc.org.
Sunil R
SR
Hingorani
D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta