We have shown that cells expressing PP (PP cells) act as a new cell of origin for pancreatic cancer. In this study, we generated mice that activate an oncogene (SV40T) in cells expressing the endocrine marker PP. Without exception, these transgenic mice developed pancreatic adenocarcinoma as early as 3-4 weeks of age. Interestingly, abnormal pancreatic duct structures were observed extending directly from the islets, which were thought to be precancerous lesions. On the other hand, mice with SV40T activation in insulin-producing cells (β-cells) developed insulinoma, an endocrine tumor, instead of pancreatic cancer. This study is considered to be an achievement that proposes a novel pathogenic pathway for pancreatic cancer, which may lead to the development of a new classification and treatment of pancreatic cancer in the future, casting a stone on the conventional hypothesis that pancreatic cancer mainly originates from pancreatic exocrine cells.
https://doi.org/10.1002/path.6295

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