University of Cincinnati maps biological differences in pancreatic cancer cohorts

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and the Henry Ford + Michigan State University Pancreatic Cancer Center identified biological variations in pancreatic cancer tumors and their immune microenvironments across different patient populations, according to a release by EurekAlert. The multiomic study, published in the journal Cancer Research, examined tens of thousands of biological markers in patient samples to investigate genomic and microenvironmental disparities eurekalert.orgEurekAlerteurekalert.orgOpen source ↗.

Molecular Signatures and Therapy Resistance

Pancreatic cancer exhibits a 20% higher incidence in Black African American (BAA) patients compared to Non-African American (NAA) cohorts. By mapping the genomic profiles of tissue samples from both groups, the researchers found that cancer cells displayed distinct molecular signatures involving unique RNAs and proteins. According to the authors, markers upregulated in the BAA cohort correspond to cell types associated with drug resistance, which could influence how patients respond to targeted therapies such as RAS inhibitors.

Tumor Microenvironment and B Cells

The study also detected differences in tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Samples from BAA patients showed an increased abundance of B cells that demonstrated immunosuppressive characteristics compared to those in NAA samples. The researchers noted that these immunosuppressive B cells may damp the natural anti-tumor immune response and assist malignant cells in evading immune detection, providing a potential biological mechanism for disparities in cancer incidence and severity. Further analyses of non-cancerous pancreatic tissues are planned to detail these mechanisms.