AUTHOR=Swain Sashikanta , Narayan Ravi Kant , Mishra Pravash Ranjan 

TITLE=Unraveling the interplay: exploring signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer in the context of pancreatic embryogenesis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2024.1461278

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2024.1461278

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>Pancreatic cancer continues to be a deadly disease because of its delayed diagnosis and aggressive tumor biology. Oncogenes and risk factors are being reported to influence the signaling pathways involved in pancreatic embryogenesis leading to pancreatic cancer genesis. Although studies using rodent models have yielded insightful information, the scarcity of human pancreatic tissue has made it difficult to comprehend how the human pancreas develops. Transcription factors like IPF1/<italic>PDX1</italic>, HLXB9, <italic>PBX1, MEIS</italic>, Islet-1, and signaling pathways, including Hedgehog, TGF-β, and Notch, are directing pancreatic organogenesis. Any derangements in the above pathways may lead to pancreatic cancer. <italic>TP53</italic>: and <italic>CDKN2A</italic> are tumor suppressor genes, and the mutations in <italic>TP53</italic> and somatic loss of <italic>CDKN2A</italic> are the drivers of pancreatic cancer. This review clarifies the complex signaling mechanism involved in pancreatic cancer, the same signaling pathways in pancreas development, the current therapeutic approach targeting signaling molecules, and the mechanism of action of risk factors in promoting pancreatic cancer.</p>