Identification of tumorigenic cells and therapeutic targets in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a type of pancreatic cancer with limited therapeutic options. Consequently, most patients with advanced disease die from tumor progression. Current evidence indicates that a subset of cancer cells is responsible for tumor development, metastasis, and recurrence, and targeting these tumor-initiating cells is necessary to eradicate tumors. However, tumor-initiating cells and the biological processes that promote pathogenesis remain largely uncharacterized in PanNETs. Here we profile primary and metastatic tumors from an index patient and demonstrate that MET proto-oncogene activation is important for tumor growth in PanNET xenograft models. We identify a highly tumorigenic cell population within several independent surgically acquired PanNETs ch

SUBMITTER: Krampitz GW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4843455 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature