Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42048448›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2026

Mitochondrial double-stranded RNA fuels pancreatic cancer growth via RIG-I/TLR3 inflammation.

Andrew T Milcarek, Minjeong Yeon, Camilla Esposito, Prerna Kulkarni, Andrew V Kossenkov, Jozef Madzo, Anneliese M Faustino, Hsin-Yao Tang, Alessandra M Storaci, Alessandro Palleschi and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

18 authors.

Andrew T Milcarek *Genome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.ORCID 0000-0002-4412-8300
Minjeong Yeon *Genome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Camilla EspositoGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Prerna KulkarniGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.ORCID 0009-0000-7541-1515
Andrew V KossenkovGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Jozef MadzoGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Anneliese M FaustinoProteomics Shared Resource, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Hsin-Yao TangProteomics Shared Resource, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.ORCID 0000-0003-1838-018X
Alessandra M StoraciDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan 20122, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9705-0618
Alessandro PalleschiDivision of Pathology, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore, Milano 20122, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4510-5167
Marco LocatelliDivision of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ca' Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano 20122, Italy.
Valentina VairaDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan 20122, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4416-6216
Mary V IacoccaDepartment of Pathology, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Christiana Care Health, Newark, DE 19713.ORCID 0009-0002-2004-1873
Andrea WardDepartment of Pathology, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Christiana Care Health, Newark, DE 19713.
Arvind SabesanHelen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Christiana Care Health, Newark, DE 19713.
Nicholas J PetrelliHelen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Christiana Care Health, Newark, DE 19713.ORCID 0000-0002-9830-0807
Michela PeregoGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.ORCID 0000-0002-5671-928X
Dario C AltieriGenome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104.ORCID 0000-0002-0617-3469

Funding

Tumor Microenvironment and MetastasisP30CA010815 · NCI · WISTAR INSTITUTE · PI Aaron Robert Goldman · 1985 to 2026
$75.9M
Tumor PlasticityR35CA220446 · NCI · WISTAR INSTITUTE · PI ALTIERI, DARIO C · 2017 to 2023
$7.7M
Advancing Cancer Research through Comprehensive Proteomics and Metabolomics AnalysesR50CA221838 · NCI · WISTAR INSTITUTE · PI Hsin-Yao Tang · 2017 to 2026
$2.1M
Integrative Approach to Comprehensive Analysis of High Throughput Data on a Cancer Center LevelR50CA211199 · NCI · WISTAR INSTITUTE · PI Andrew V Kossenkov · 2016 to 2026
$1.6M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA010815NCI NIH HHS R35 CA220446NCI NIH HHS R50 CA211199NCI NIH HHS R50 CA221838
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mitochondria activate inflammation and innate immunity to protect against infections, but the role in cancer is unknown. Here, we report that patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with reduced levels of the mitochondrial scaffold, Mic60, or inner mitochondrial membrane protein, exhibit increased inflammation, high NFκB activity and production of TNFα. This is mediated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) released from structurally defective, Mic60-low mitochondria, which engages TLR3/RIG-I sensing, activates NFκB gene expression and reprograms transcriptional and signaling networks to promote PDAC proliferation. Preclinical targeting of mitochondrial dsRNA signaling triggers rapid cell death and inhibition of tumor growth, selectively in Mic60-knockdown PDAC, without overt toxicity, in vivo. Therefore, dsRNA released from defective mitochondria generates protumorigenic inflammation and provides an actionable therapeutic target in selected PDAC patients.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalDEAD Box Protein 58InflammationMitochondriaPancreatic NeoplasmsRNA, Double-StrandedRNA, MitochondrialToll-Like Receptor 3AnimalsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationHumansInnate Immunity RecognitionMiceNF-kappa BReceptors, ImmunologicDEAD Box Protein 58NF-kappa BReceptors, ImmunologicRIGI protein, humanRNA, Double-StrandedRNA, MitochondrialTLR3 protein, humanToll-Like Receptor 3dsRNAinflammationpancreatic cancerTLR3viral mimicry

Identifiers

PMID42048448
PMCPMC13142985

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.