Tsesmelis Miltiadis, Tiwary Kanishka, Steiger Katja, Sperb Nadine, Gerstenlauer Melanie, Manfras Uta, Maier Harald J, Hermann Patrick C, Chan Lap Kwan, Wirth Thomas
Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
Cancers (Basel). 2021 Sep 10;13(18):4541. doi: 10.3390/cancers13184541.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a largely incurable cancer type. Its high mortality is attributed to the lack of efficient biomarkers for early detection combined with its high metastatic properties. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of NF-κB signaling in the development and metastasis of PDAC. We used the well-established KPC mouse model, and, through genetic manipulation, we deleted NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) in the pancreata of KPC mice. Interestingly, NEMO deletion altered the differentiation status of the primary tumor but did not significantly affect its development. However, in the absence of NEMO, the median survival of the mice was prolonged by 13.5 days (16%). In addition, examination of the liver demonstrated that, whereas KPC mice occasionally developed liver macro-metastasis, NEMO deletion completely abrogated this outcome. Further analysis of the tumor revealed that the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factors was diminished in the absence of NEMO. Conclusively, our study provides evidence that NF-κB is dispensable for the progression of high-grade PanINs towards PDAC. In contrast, NF-κB signaling is essential for the development of metastasis by regulating the gene expression program of EMT.
胰腺导管腺癌(PDAC)仍然是一种基本上无法治愈的癌症类型。其高死亡率归因于缺乏用于早期检测的有效生物标志物以及其高转移特性。我们研究的目的是调查NF-κB信号通路在PDAC发生和转移中的作用。我们使用了成熟的KPC小鼠模型,并通过基因操作在KPC小鼠的胰腺中删除了NF-κB必需调节因子(NEMO)。有趣的是,NEMO缺失改变了原发性肿瘤的分化状态,但对其发生没有显著影响。然而,在没有NEMO的情况下,小鼠的中位生存期延长了13.5天(16%)。此外,对肝脏的检查表明,虽然KPC小鼠偶尔会发生肝脏大转移,但NEMO缺失完全消除了这种情况。对肿瘤的进一步分析显示,在没有NEMO的情况下,上皮-间质转化(EMT)转录因子的表达减少。总之,我们的研究提供了证据,表明NF-κB对于高级别胰腺上皮内瘤变(PanINs)向PDAC的进展并非必需。相反,NF-κB信号通路通过调节EMT的基因表达程序对于转移的发生至关重要。