January 18, 2026

E11 - Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer

11 minutes

E11 | 12 min | Latest | Publication Link

Podcast based on: Rupert, J.; Cai, L.; Daquinag, A.C.; Anastassiou, D.; Kolonin, M.G. Adipose Stromal Cell-Derived Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Progression Through SFRP4 Signaling. Cancers 2026, 18, 233. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18020233

Type: Article | Publication date: 12 January 2026

Summary: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by remodeling the microenvironment toward tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. A sub-population of CAFs originates from adipose stromal cells in adjacent fat tissue through mechanisms that are not well understood. Using co-cultures of human adipose stromal cells with pancreatic cancer cells and a mouse model of pancreatic cancer, we found that tumor cells induce Wnt and TGFβ signaling and extracellular matrix gene expression in adipose stromal cells. We discovered that two important genes, the long non-coding RNA LINC01614 and the Wnt signaling modulator SFRP4, are required for this transition. Loss of SFRP4 reduced cancer cell migration, growth, and metastasis, suggesting that SFRP4 is a promising therapeutic target inhibiting the transition.

Keywords: cancer; tumor microenvironment; metastasis; pancreas; fibroblast; stromal; adipose; LINC01614; SFRP4; Wnt; TGF; SMAD

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