Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41453639›Full record

ArticleCellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology2026

Novel Acinar Metaplastic States Uncovered in Exocrine Pancreas Disease.

Katherine J Aney, Woo-Jeong Jeong, Pal Koak, Anders W Ohman, Canh Hiep Nguyen, Brian M Wolpin, Jonathan A Nowak, Sahar Nissim

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Katherine J AneyBiological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Health Sciences and Technology Program, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts; Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Masssachusetts.
Woo-Jeong JeongGenetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Masssachusetts.
Pal KoakGenetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Masssachusetts.
Anders W OhmanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Canh Hiep NguyenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Brian M WolpinDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Jonathan A NowakDepartment of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Program in Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Sahar NissimBiological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Health Sciences and Technology Program, Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts; Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Masssachusetts; Gastroenterology Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: snissim@bwh.harvard.edu.

Funding

Medical Scientist Training ProgramT32GM144273 · NIGMS · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI David Shumway Jones, Jacqueline A. Lees · 2022 to 2026
$14.7M
Circulating Biomarker Consortium for Pancreatic Cancer Early DetectionU01CA210171 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · PI Michael H. Rosenthal, Brian Matthew Wolpin · 2016 to 2026
$8.7M
NCI NIH HHS U01 CA210171NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM144273
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsIn response to injury, pancreatic acinar cells undergo acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), marked by loss of acinar identity and acquisition of ductal features. Although ADM can resolve to support tissue repair, it may also persist and serve as a precursor to pancreatic cancer. Whether diverse pancreatic stressors drive a shared or context-specific ADM program remains unclear. We sought to comprehensively define metaplastic responses to clinically relevant exocrine pancreas diseases known to increase cancer risk.

methodsWe profiled ADM and the surrounding microenvironment across mouse models of exocrine disease-including acute, recurrent, and chronic pancreatitis, as well as in the setting of oncogenic Kras-capturing over 300,000 single cells. To enable high-quality transcriptomic profiling in enzyme-rich tissue, we leveraged FixNCut, a method that preserves RNA integrity in the exocrine pancreas. Findings were validated in human pancreas tissue using CosMx spatial transcriptomics.

resultsWe identify a conserved acinar response across disease contexts that gives rise to previously unrecognized distinct metaplastic states, including a "gateway" ADM population that precedes more advanced metaplastic states marked by complete loss of acinar identity. In pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) precancerous lesions, we detect classical-like and basal-like states, suggesting that pancreatic cancer subtypes are specified much earlier than previously appreciated. In Kras-mutant tissue, we identify a second wave of inflammation and the emergence of an immunosuppressive niche, coinciding with PanIN formation.

conclusionsOur findings define a conserved program of acinar plasticity across exocrine pancreas diseases. We further link unresolved ADM to immune remodeling during precursor lesion formation and observe the emergence of pancreatic cancer subtypes in early PanIN lesions.

Indexed as

Acinar CellsPancreas, ExocrinePancreatic NeoplasmsAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalGene Expression ProfilingHumansMetaplasiaMicePancreatitisProto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)TranscriptomeProto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)Acinar-to-ductal MetaplasiaPancreas Single-cell RNA SequencingPancreatic Cancer InitiationPancreatitisPanIN

Identifiers

PMID41453639
PMCPMC12964296

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.