scholarly journals Genetic Mutations of Pancreatic Cancer and Genetically Engineered Mouse Models

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Yuriko Saiki ◽  
Can Jiang ◽  
Masaki Ohmuraya ◽  
Toru Furukawa

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, and the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. An improved understanding of tumor biology and novel therapeutic discoveries are needed to improve overall survival. Recent multi-gene analysis approaches such as next-generation sequencing have provided useful information on the molecular characterization of pancreatic tumors. Different types of pancreatic cancer and precursor lesions are characterized by specific molecular alterations. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of PDAC are useful to understand the roles of altered genes. Most GEMMs are driven by oncogenic Kras, and can recapitulate the histological and molecular hallmarks of human PDAC and comparable precursor lesions. Advanced GEMMs permit the temporally and spatially controlled manipulation of multiple target genes using a dual-recombinase system or CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. GEMMs that express fluorescent proteins allow cell lineage tracing to follow tumor growth and metastasis to understand the contribution of different cell types in cancer progression. GEMMs are widely used for therapeutic optimization. In this review, we summarize the main molecular alterations found in pancreatic neoplasms, developed GEMMs, and the contribution of GEMMs to the current understanding of PDAC pathobiology. Furthermore, we attempted to modify the categorization of altered driver genes according to the most updated findings.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weng ◽  
Lin ◽  
Cheng

Pancreatic cancer is often treatment-resistant, with the emerging standard of care, gemcitabine, affording only a few months of incrementally-deteriorating survival. Reflecting on the history of failed clinical trials, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) in oncology research provides the inspiration to discover new treatments for pancreatic cancer that come from better knowledge of pathogenesis mechanisms, not only of the derangements in and consequently acquired capabilities of the cancer cells, but also in the aberrant microenvironment that becomes established to support, sustain, and enhance neoplastic progression. On the other hand, the existing mutational profile of pancreatic cancer guides our understanding of the disease, but leaves many important questions of pancreatic cancer biology unanswered. Over the past decade, a series of transgenic and gene knockout mouse modes have been produced that develop pancreatic cancers with features reflective of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in humans. Animal models of PDAC are likely to be essential to understanding the genetics and biology of the disease and may provide the foundation for advances in early diagnosis and treatment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki A. Ottenhof ◽  
Anya N. A. Milne ◽  
Folkert H. M. Morsink ◽  
Paul Drillenburg ◽  
Fiebo J. W. ten Kate ◽  
...  

Abstract Context.—Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival of less than 5%. Early detection is at present the only way to improve this outlook. This review focuses on the recent advances in our understanding of pancreatic carcinogenesis, the scientific evidence for a multistaged tumor progression, and the role genetically engineered mouse models can play in recapitulating the natural course and biology of human disease. Objectives.—To illustrate the stepwise tumor progression of pancreatic cancer and genetic alterations within the different stages of progression and to review the findings made with genetically engineered mouse models concerning pancreatic carcinogenesis. Data Sources.—A review of recent literature on pancreatic tumorigenesis and genetically engineered mouse models. Conclusions.—Pancreatic cancer develops through stepwise tumor progression in which preinvasive stages, called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, precede invasive pancreatic cancer. Genetic alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes underlying pancreatic cancer are also found in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. These mutations accumulate during progression through the consecutive stages of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions. Also in genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, tumorigenesis occurs through stepwise progression via consecutive mouse pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and these models provide important tools for clinical applications. Nevertheless differences between mice and men still remain.


Nanoscale ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (45) ◽  
pp. 22006-22018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Sagar Madamsetty ◽  
Krishnendu Pal ◽  
Sandeep Keshavan ◽  
Thomas R. Caulfield ◽  
Shamit Kumar Dutta ◽  
...  

Schematic representation demonstrating the fabrication and in vivo evaluation of an immune-modulatory nano-formulation consisting of irinotecan and curcumin in immune-competent mouse models of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Capello ◽  
Paola Cappello ◽  
Federica Linty ◽  
Roberto Chiarle ◽  
Isabella Sperduti ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Maria Miquel ◽  
Shuman Zhang ◽  
Christian Pilarsky

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a hostile solid malignancy coupled with an extremely high mortality rate. Metastatic disease is already found in most patients at the time of diagnosis, resulting in a 5-year survival rate below 5%. Improved comprehension of the mechanisms leading to metastasis is pivotal for the development of new targeted therapies. A key field to be improved are modeling strategies applied in assessing cancer progression, since traditional platforms fail in recapitulating the complexity of PDAC. Consequently, there is a compelling demand for new preclinical models that mirror tumor progression incorporating the pressure of the immune system, tumor microenvironment, as well as molecular aspects of PDAC. We suggest the incorporation of 3D organoids derived from genetically engineered mouse models or patients as promising new tools capable to transform PDAC pre-clinical modeling and access new frontiers in personalized medicine.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noboru Ideno ◽  
Hiroshi Yamaguchi ◽  
Takashi Okumara ◽  
Jonathon Huang ◽  
Mitchel J. Brun ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTGenetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) that recapitulate the major genetic drivers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have provided unprecedented insights into the pathogenesis of this lethal neoplasm. Nonetheless, generating an autochthonous model is an expensive, time consuming and labor intensive process, particularly when tissue specific expression or deletion of compound alleles are involved. In addition, many of the current PDAC GEMMs cause embryonic, pancreas-wide activation or loss of driver alleles, neither of which reflects the cognate human disease scenario. The advent of CRISPR/Cas9 based gene editing can potentially circumvent many of the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional breeding schema, but ensuring the efficiency of gene editing in vivo remains a challenge. Here we have developed a pipeline for generating PDAC GEMMs of complex genotypes with high efficiency using a single “workhorse” mouse strain expressing Cas9 in the adult pancreas under a p48 promoter. Using adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated delivery of multiplexed guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to the adult murine pancreas of p48-Cre; LSL-Cas9 mice, we confirm our ability to express an oncogenic KrasG12D allele through homology-directed repair (HDR), in conjunction with CRISPR-induced disruption of cooperating alleles (Trp53, Lkb1 and Arid1A). The resulting GEMMs demonstrate a spectrum of precursor lesions (pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia [PanIN] or Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm [IPMN] with eventual progression to PDAC. Next generation sequencing of the resulting murine PDAC confirms HDR of oncogenic KrasG12D allele at the endogenous locus, and insertion deletion (“indel”) and frameshift mutations of targeted tumor suppressor alleles. By using a single “workhorse” mouse strain and optimal AAV serotype for in vivo gene editing with combination of driver alleles, we have created a facile autochthonous platform for interrogation of the PDAC genome.


Author(s):  
Julie Navez ◽  
Christelle Bouchart ◽  
Diane Lorenzo ◽  
Maria Antonietta Bali ◽  
Jean Closset ◽  
...  

AbstractComplete surgical resection, most often associated with perioperative chemotherapy, is the only way to offer a chance of cure for patients with pancreatic cancer. One of the most important factors in determining survival outcome that can be influenced by the surgeon is the R0 resection. However, the proximity of mesenteric vessels in cephalic pancreatic tumors, especially the mesenterico-portal venous axis, results in an increased risk of vein involvement and/or the presence of malignant cells in the venous bed margin. A concomitant venous resection can be performed to decrease the risk of a positive margin. Given the additional technical difficulty that this implies, many surgeons seek a path between the tumor and the vein, hoping for the absence of tumor infiltration into the perivascular tissue on pathologic analysis, particularly in cases with administration of neoadjuvant therapy. The definition of optimal surgical margin remains a subject of debate, but at least 1 mm is an independent predictor of survival after pancreatic cancer surgical resection. Although preoperative radiologic assessment is essential for accurate planning of a pancreatic resection, intraoperative decision-making with regard to resection of the mesenterico-portal vein in tumors with a venous contact remains unclear and variable. Although venous histologic involvement and perivascular infiltration are not accurately predictable preoperatively, clinicians must examine the existing criteria and normograms to guide their surgical management according to the integration of new imaging techniques, preoperative chemotherapy use, tumor biology and molecular histopathology, and surgical techniques.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Shilpa Patil ◽  
Yan Dou ◽  
Janel L. Kopp

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease that has no effective early detection method or treatment to date. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> The normal cell type that initiates PDAC, or its cellular origin, is still unknown. To investigate the contribution of distinct normal epithelial cell types to PDAC tumorigenesis, genetically engineered mouse models were used to show that both acinar and ductal cells are capable of giving rise to PDAC. These studies indicated that genetic mutations and pancreatic injury interact differently with each cellular origin to affect their predilection and process for forming PDAC. In this review, we summarize recent findings using various genetically engineered mouse models in the identification and characterization of the PDAC cell of origin. We also discuss potential implications for cellular origin on tumor development, PDAC transcriptional subtype, and disease prognosis of patients. <b><i>Key Message:</i></b> Although it is clear that both ductal and acinar cells have the potential to form PDAC, whether cellular origin can indeed influence patient prognosis and whether knowledge of cellular origin will aid in the diagnosis or treatment of patients in the future will need further study.


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