biostudies-literatureHuang GNational Cancer Institute Cancer CenterBrendon Colson Center for Pancreatic CareNCI NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthNIH HHS411-422https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11560643biostudies-literatureUnknown264(4)The basement membrane (BM) is among the predominant microenvironmental factors of normal epithelia and of precancerous epithelial lesions. Evidence suggests that the BM functions not only as a barrier to tumour invasion but also as an active tumour-suppressing signalling substrate during premalignancy. However, the molecular foundations of such mechanisms have not been elucidated. Here we explore potential tumour-suppressing functions of the BM during precancer evolution, focusing on the expression and function of the extracellular matrix receptor dystroglycan in the pancreas and pancreatic disease. We show that the dystroglycan protein is highly expressed in the acinar compartment of the normal pancreas but lower in the ductal compartment. Moreover, there is a strong suppression of dystroThe Journal of pathologySuppression of dystroglycan function accompanies pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and favours dysplasia development.PMC11560643P30CA069533P30 CA0695331U01 CA224012U54 CA209988U01 CA224012U01 CA278923U54CA209988Chang YHLanciault CMacPherson-Hawthorne KHuang GTernes LSears RCMuschler JLfalseSuppression of dystroglycan function accompanies pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and favours dysplasia development.The basement membrane (BM) is among the predominant microenvironmental factors of normal epithelia and of precancerous epithelial lesions. Evidence suggests that the BM functions not only as a barrier to tumour invasion but also as an active tumour-suppressing signalling substrate during premalignancy. However, the molecular foundations of such mechanisms have not been elucidated. Here we explore potential tumour-suppressing functions of the BM during precancer evolution, focusing on the expression and function of the extracellular matrix receptor dystroglycan in the pancreas and pancreatic disease. We show that the dystroglycan protein is highly expressed in the acinar compartment of the normal pancreas but lower in the ductal compartment. Moreover, there is a strong suppression of dystro2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Dec2026-06-10T05:31:36.269Z2026-06-10T03:07:42.68ZS-EPMC115606433943564910.1002/path.6356