Novel orthotopic patient-derived xenograft model using human pancreatic cancer tissue fragments to recapitulate distant metastasis and cancer-related hypercoagulability.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor that metastasizes to distant organs, such as the liver and lungs from an early stage. Few animal models can reproduce early metastasis. In addition, no model has been reported that reproduces cancer-related hypercoagulability, which is characteristic of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other adenocarcinomas.

Exosomes in ascites from patients with human pancreatic cancer enhance remote metastasis partially through endothelial-mesenchymal transition.

Background: Despite advances in multidisciplinary treatment, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains poor. Since distant metastasis defines prognosis, elucidation of the mechanism of metastasis is important for improving survival. Exosomes are extracellular secretory vesicles and are responsible for intercellular communication.