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The Deadly Protein That Spreads Cancer Early

Brazilian researchers have cracked the code on why pancreatic cancer kills with such ruthless efficiency.

Story Snapshot

Scientists identified periostin, a protein produced by stellate cells, that enables pancreatic tumors to invade nerves and spread early in disease progression
More than half of pancreatic cancer cases show nerve invasion at early stages, yet doctors typically discover this only after surgery when it’s often too late
Clinical trials already testing periostin-blocking antibodies in other cancers provide a ready pathway to adapt these treatments for pancreatic cancer patients
The discovery shifts understanding from tumors as isolated masses to recognizing them as ecosystems that actively hijack surrounding healthy tissue

The Protein That Builds Cancer Highways

Pancreatic stellate cells produce periostin, which remodels the extracellular matrix surrounding tumors. This process creates pathways that allow cancer cells to infiltrate nerves, a phenomenon called perineural invasion. Helder Nakaya, principal investigator at the University of São Paulo, explains that periostin participates in tissue remodeling, essentially paving the way for tumor cells to invade. The research team analyzed 24 pancreatic cancer samples using advanced single-cell genomic analysis, revealing this mechanism with unprecedented resolution. This discovery explains why pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which accounts for 90 percent of pancreatic cancer diagnoses, spreads so aggressively that its death rate nearly matches its diagnosis rate.

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The Early Invasion Problem Nobody Can See

The timing of perineural invasion presents a cruel irony in pancreatic cancer treatment. More than half of cases show nerve invasion at early stages, yet standard diagnostic procedures cannot detect this infiltration before surgery. By the time surgeons discover the invasion during biopsy, the cancer has already established escape routes throughout the body. This detection gap represents one reason why pancreatic cancer remains exceptionally lethal compared to other malignancies. The Brazilian research team, working at the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases, published their findings in January 2026 in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, providing the first detailed mechanistic explanation of how periostin facilitates this hidden invasion process.

Scientists find hidden pathways pancreatic cancer uses to spread

Researchers have discovered how pancreatic cancer reprograms its surroundings to spread quickly and stealthily. By using a protein called periostin, the tumor remodels nearby tissue and invades nerves, which helps…

— The Something Guy 🇿🇦 (@thesomethingguy) January 30, 2026

From Lab Discovery to Patient Treatment

Pharmaceutical companies are already testing antibodies designed to block periostin in clinical trials for other cancer types, creating a translational pathway for pancreatic cancer applications. Researcher Uson notes that developing antibodies or drugs that block stellate cells would provide tools to prevent tumors from acquiring invasive capacity so early in disease progression. This approach aligns with the broader shift toward precision medicine, where doctors will treat patients based on genomic and molecular changes rather than tumor type alone. The strategy could benefit patients with intestinal and breast cancers in addition to pancreatic cancer.

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Rethinking Cancer as an Ecosystem

This research fundamentally changes how scientists view pancreatic tumors. Rather than isolated masses that simply grow larger, tumors function as ecosystems that actively reprogram surrounding healthy tissue to support their survival and spread. The stellate cells that produce periostin normally help maintain pancreatic tissue structure, but tumors hijack these cells to create invasion pathways. This represents a paradigm shift with implications extending beyond treatment development to early detection strategies. Understanding that tumors manipulate their microenvironment suggests biomarkers might identify perineural invasion before surgical intervention becomes necessary.

The Brazilian team’s use of advanced data analysis with public databases enabled them to ask questions that original study authors never considered. This methodology demonstrates how computational tools can extract new insights from existing data, potentially accelerating discoveries without requiring expensive new sample collection. The FDA is currently reviewing other novel therapies for pancreatic cancer, including tumor treating fields therapy, reflecting expanding treatment options.

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