034-Distinct cellular subtypes involved in neural invasion

The article examines the cellular landscape of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), focusing on neural invasion (NI), a process linked to poor prognosis. Through advanced multi-omics techniques like single-cell/single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, the researchers characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) in both low and high neural invasion states. They identify distinct cell subtypes, including Schwann cells that promote neural invasion, and explore the complex interactions between cancer cells, immune cells, and stromal components surrounding invaded and non-invaded nerves. The findings offer a detailed atlas of tumor-associated nerves and highlight potential therapeutic targets to combat neural invasion in PDAC.

References:

• Chen M M, Gao Q, Ning H, et al. Integrated single-cell and spatial transcriptomics uncover distinct cellular subtypes involved in neural invasion in pancreatic cancer[J]. Cancer Cell, 2025.