| First Author | Du W | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | Mol Cancer Res | Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 8 | Pages | 1412-1421 |
| PubMed ID | 33811159 | Mgi Jnum | J:317158 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6849905 | Doi | 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-20-0860 |
| Citation | Du W, et al. (2021) AXL Is a Key Factor for Cell Plasticity and Promotes Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 19(8):1412-1421 |
| abstractText | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, has a high metastatic rate, and is associated with persistent immune suppression. AXL, a member of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) receptor tyrosine kinase family, is a driver of metastasis and immune suppression in multiple cancer types. Here we use single-cell RNA-sequencing to reveal that AXL is expressed highly in tumor cells that have a mesenchymal-like phenotype and that AXL expression correlates with classic markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. We demonstrate that AXL deficiency extends survival, reduces primary and metastatic burden, and enhances sensitivity to gemcitabine in an autochthonous model of PDA. PDA in AXL-deficient mice displayed a more differentiated histology, higher nucleoside transporter expression, and a more active immune microenvironment compared with PDA in wild-type mice. Finally, we demonstrate that AXL-positive poorly differentiated tumor cells are critical for PDA progression and metastasis, emphasizing the potential of AXL as a therapeutic target in PDA. IMPLICATIONS: These studies implicate AXL as a marker of undifferentiated PDA cells and a target for therapy. |
