Elucidating the roles of ASPM isoforms reveals a novel prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Late diagnosis, desmoplastic tissue and intrinsic resistance to therapy are among the main reasons for its aggressive phenotype. In addition, it is now appreciated that cancer stem cells - a rare subpopulation of tumor cells highly resistant to therapy - are crucial players in PDAC initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. In a recent article in The Journal of Pathology, Hsu et al elucidated the specific roles of abnormal spindle-like, microcephaly-associated protein (ASPM) isoforms in PDAC. The authors reported that ASPM isoform I (ASPM-iI) is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of PDAC cells. Its expression is associated with the Wnt signaling pathway, which promotes stemness and maintains the cancer stem cell niche. Clinically, expression of ASPM-iI correlates with poor survival in PDAC patients. Thus, this study revealed a novel prognostic marker as well as a potential therapeutic target for PDAC. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.