Sinapsos Podcast | Oncology

E11   |  12 min   |   Latest   |  Publication Link

• Podcast based on: Rupert, J.; Cai, L.; Daquinag, A.C.; Anastassiou, D.; Kolonin, M.G. Adipose Stromal Cell-Derived Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Progression Through SFRP4 Signaling. Cancers 2026, 18, 233. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18020233
  Type: Article  |  Publication date: 12 January 2026
  
  
• Summary: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by remodeling the microenvironment toward tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. A sub-population of CAFs originates from adipose stromal cells in adjacent fat tissue through mechanisms that are not well understood. Using co-cultures of human adipose stromal cells with pancreatic cancer cells and a mouse model of pancreatic cancer, we found that tumor cells induce Wnt and TGFβ signaling and extracellular matrix gene expression in adipose stromal cells. We discovered that two important genes, the long non-coding RNA LINC01614 and the Wnt signaling modulator SFRP4, are required for this transition. Loss of SFRP4 reduced cancer cell migration, growth, and metastasis, suggesting that SFRP4 is a promising therapeutic target inhibiting the transition.
  
  
• Keywords: cancer; tumor microenvironment; metastasis; pancreas; fibroblast; stromal; adipose; LINC01614; SFRP4; Wnt; TGF; SMAD

License and disclaimer:
Original article © 2026 by the authors. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This episode is an AI-generated audio adaptation of the article: the script and the voices are synthetic, changes were made, and the adaptation is not endorsed by the authors, the journal, or the publisher. It may contain errors or omissions, so consult the original publication before relying on any detail. It is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. The creators accept no liability for any use of this content.