NIH R01 · 2025
Targeting anoctamin 6 to disrupt trogocytosis of cancer-associated fibroblasts
Project Summary The fibroblastic stroma comprises most of pancreatic adenocarcinoma mass and is remarkably devoid of functional blood vessels. It has been assumed that the pancreatic cancer cells obtain their essential metabolites, such as lipids, directly from the interstitial fluid, but we have found that this is not the case. Instead, we present evidence from our intravital fluorescent LDL particles tracing experiments that PDAC tumor cells derive their lipids directly from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). We have discovered that CAFs feed tumor cells lipids via direct transfer of membranes in a process called trogocytosis (trogo = ‘to gnaw’ or ‘nibble’). We have also found that…
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