CXCL12 and Its Isoforms: Different Roles in Pancreatic Cancer?

Figure 4

Primary pancreatic tumor microenvironment. PDAC stromal cells, like cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer stellate cells, release the different CXCL12 isoforms in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer cells, which expressed the CXCL12-receptor on their surface, can bind the ligand. This ligand-receptor binding can cause tumor invasion, cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metastasis.