Identification of cold tumor induction–related markers in pancreatic cancer and the clinical implication of PCDH7

• DOI: 10.1007/s00432-025-06095-z
• Publication Date: 2025-01-24T17:52:52Z
• Authors: Yuki Mochida; Kenoki Ohuchida; Bo Zhang; Yutaka Yamada; Chikanori Tsutsumi; Akihiro Kubo; Koki Oyama; Tomohiko Shinkawa; Chika Iwamoto; Nobuhiro Torata; Toshiya Abe; Noboru Ideno; Naoki Ikenaga; Kohei Nakata; Yoshinao Oda; Masafumi Nakamura
• Keywords: Hematology; Identification

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered a "cold" tumor because the immune microenvironment (TIME) exhibits poor intratumoral T-cell infiltration. This study aimed to identify marker genes associated with induction of cold TIME in PDAC cells. We orthotopically transplanted 10 primary cultures derived from KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice into immunocompetent and evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining CD8. divided two groups: group low CD8+ infiltration hot high RNA sequencing was performed specific group, single-cell (scRNA-seq) data used for validation. IHC evaluate expressions human samples. identified six cells sequencing; these were defined as "cold induction–related genes". Human scRNA-seq revealed that significantly negatively correlated number T-cells (p = 0.0341). These included protocadherin 7 (PCDH7). High expression PCDH7 0.0474) 0.0110) using an independent factor prognosis (overall survival: hazard ratio 2.07, p 0.0367). prognostic patients.