Prostaglandin E2-driven dedifferentiation of Schwann cells leads to perineural invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
) synthesis. Functional experiments revealed that PGE₂ drove morphological alterations in SCs-characterized by bipolar stretching-and elevated the expression of dedifferentiation markers, including p75NTR, c-Jun, SOX2, and GDNF. In the 3D coculture model, treatment with a PTGES inhibitor (CAY10526), siPTGES or PTGES-KO impaired the directional migration and neurite outgrowth of SCs toward PDAC cells. Mechanistically, PGE₂-stimulated SCs secrete elevated levels of LIF and ADAMTS-1, factors that promote extracellular matrix degradation and neural remodeling to facilitate tumor invasion. In summary, we delineate a novel paracrine axis in which PDAC-derived PGE₂ drives SC dedifferentiation and the production of proinvasive factors (LIF and ADAMTS-1), collectively establishing a microenvironment conducive to PNI. Our findings suggest that the PTGES-SC axis is a promising therapeutic target for inhibiting PNI in PDAC.
Authors
- Shizhong Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9481-060X)
- Zhibo Zhang
- Q. M. Jonathan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5208-7975)
- Jiahong Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8002-9086)
- Qicai Liu
- Juan Tang
- Yuqing Zheng
- Ling Wang
- Guobin Pan
- Shangeng Weng
- Yuting Zhuang
- Feng Gao
Institutions
- Fujian Medical University (CN)
- Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital (CN)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (CN)
- Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
- Published
- 2026-04-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-026-02648-x
- Primary Topic
- Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China