Scientists unveil a metabolic Achilles’ heel in pancreatic cancer

May 23, 2023

By Tarun Sai Lomte

A recent study published in the journal Nature identified uridine-derived ribose as the fuel for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) in glucose-restricted conditions.

The PDA tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by abundant immune cell infiltration, stromal fibroblast expansion, and extracellular matrix deposition. This results in increased interstitial fluid pressure and the collapse of capillaries and arterioles, which collectively contribute to poor oxygen saturation, metabolic aberrations, heterogeneity at the cellular level, and therapeutic resistance. PDA cells in such an extreme TME adapt to increase their catabolic and scavenging capabilities.