The dismal prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) is due in part due to a lack of molecular information regarding disease development. Established cell lines remain a useful tool for investigating these molecular events. Here we present a review of available information on commonly used PA cell lines as a resource to help investigators select the cell lines most appropriate for their particular research needs. Information on clinical history, in vitro and in vivo growth characteristics, phenotypic characteristics, such as adhesion, invasion, migration and tumorigenesis, and genotypic status of commonly altered genes (KRAS, p53, p16, and SMAD4) was evaluated. Identification of both consensus and discrepant information in the literature suggests careful evaluation before selection of cell lines and attention be given to cell line authentication.

SUMMARY Chronic pancreatitis is a well-known risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) development in humans, and inflammation promotes PDA initiation and progression in mouse models of the disease. However, the mechanistic link between inflammatory damage and PDA initiation is unclear. Using a Kras-driven mouse model of PDA, we establish that the inflammatory mediator Stat3 is a critical component of spontaneous and pancreatitis-accelerated PDA precursor formation and supports cell proliferation, metaplasia associated inflammation, and MMP7 expression during neoplastic development. Furthermore, we show that Stat3 signaling enforces MMP7 expression in PDA cells and that MMP7 deletion limits tumor size and metastasis in mice. Finally, we demonstrate that serum MMP7 level in human PDA patients correlated with metastatic disease and survival.