Cell neighborhoods in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma impact clinical outcomes

Cell neighborhoods within the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) play a crucial role in determining clinical outcomes. Researchers used immunohistochemistry and image analysis to study cell neighborhoods in PDA tumors from chemotherapy-naïve and chemotherapy-treated patients. They found that distinct intratumoral immune and tumor cell subsets were defined by neighboring cells. Chemotherapy-treated tumors had higher levels of proliferating tumor cells with immune-rich neighborhoods, which was associated with prolonged survival. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of cell communities in PDA and their clinical significance.