Extracellular vesicles from pancreatic cancer and its tumour microenvironment promote increased Schwann cell migration.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a high frequency of neural invasion (NI). Schwann cells (SCs) have been shown to be reprogrammed to facilitate cancer cell migration and invasion into nerves. Since extracellular vesicles (EVs) affect the tumour microenvironment and promote metastasis, the present study analysed the involvement of EVs from pancreatic cancer cells and their microenvironment in altering SC phenotype as part of the early events in the process of NI.

Plasma extracellular vesicle messenger RNA profiling identifies prognostic EV signature for non-invasive risk stratification for survival prediction of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most dismal of all cancers and the median survival of PDAC patients is only 6-8 months after diagnosis. While decades of research effort have been focused on early diagnosis and understanding of molecular mechanisms, few clinically useful markers have been universally applied. To improve the treatment and management of PDAC, it is equally relevant to identify prognostic factors for optimal therapeutic decision-making and patient survival.