Perineural invasion is related to p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activation and promotes tumor growth and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer.

Metastasis is a key component of cancer progression and is strongly associated with poor prognosis. Perineural invasion is thought to be related to pain, tumor recurrence, and other conditions. However, the exact molecular mechanism is unclear. This study was conducted to identify the key components and signaling pathways involved in the perineural invasion of pancreatic cancer and alterations in the phenotype after the interaction between the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and pancreatic cancer cells. The results indicated that the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was activated after coculture of the DRG and pancreatic cancer cells and lead to the promotion of cell growth and chemoresistance.