CD44 Expression Level and Isoform Contributes to Pancreatic Cancer Cell Plasticity, Invasiveness, and Response to Therapy

摘要

Purpose: A subpopulation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells is thought to be inherently resistant to chemotherapy or to give rise to tumor cells that become resistant during treatment. Here we determined the role of CD44 expression and its isoforms as a marker and potential target for tumor cells that give rise to invasive and gemcitabineresistant tumors.