Pancreatic cancer cells rewire DNA to resist treatment and spread

Researchers have discovered that pancreatic cancer cells continuously reshape their genetic makeup to evade medical treatments and facilitate metastasis. An analysis of nearly half a million cells from numerous patient tumors, led by NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center, revealed that subpopulations of cells within a single tumor undergo genetic reconfiguration over time.

This evolutionary process allows cancer cells to transition between different subtypes, such as shifting from classical to more aggressive basal subtypes. The study, published in Nature Genetics, identified specific genetic changes during tumor evolution, including increased activity of the MYC gene in aggressive populations. These findings suggest that the ongoing reshaping of DNA is a primary driver of both treatment resistance and the ability of the cancer to spread throughout the body.