Do you study pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma? If so, you should read about this power-law growth computational model that found pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) is larger and more prevalent than previously thought. NCI’s Cellular Cancer Biology Imaging Research program contributed funding to the researchers’ work on PanIN, a microscopic precursor lesion that can lead to cancer development.

By analyzing over 1,000 PanINs using 3D tissue mapping, researchers predicted PanIN size based on general growth behavior rather than individual factors like age, history, lifestyle, or the pancreatic microenvironment. This analysis sets the stage for future mathematical modeling which could help you better understand how these precancerous lesions transform into cancer cells.

As shared by corresponding author, Ashley Kiemen, Ph.D., “Our model gives a general overview of how precancerous lesions could evolve. If more detailed experimental data become available (e.g., high-resolution spatial genetic information for very small and very large PanIN lesions), our model can serve as a basis for developing more detailed models that describe PanIN in the actual physical space provided by the pancreatic ducts. Moreover, our generic approach to describing lesion growth is likely transferable to other lesion types, including other common cancer precursors in the fallopian tubes or esophagus.”