Interrogation of deep-sequencing data from MYB-overexpressing versus -silenced PC cells identified Sonic-hedgehog (SHH) and Adrenomedullin (ADM) as two differentially-expressed genes among others, which encode for secretory ligands involved in tumor-stromal cross-talk.
We measured plasma levels of adrenomedullin in patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and individuals with normal fasting glucose levels (controls).
Adrenomedullin was localized in the neoplastic epithelium of 90% (43 of 48) of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas analyzed by immunohistochemistry and was expressed by 100% (8 of 8) of pancreatic cancer cell lines analyzed by reverse transcription-PCR.
These results showed that AM played an important role in the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vivo, suggesting that AM antagonist might be a useful tool for treating pancreatic cancers.