Seung-Mo Hong | PubMed Health

PubMed2026

Molecular profiling of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma and amphicrine-like carcinoma: high frequency of homologous recombination deficiency and molecular heterogeneity.

BACKGROUND: The 6th edition of the WHO Classification of Digestive System Tumours distinguishes amphicrine-like carcinomas (ALCs) from mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNENs). Acinar cell carcinomas (ACCs) with an intimately admixed and not separated neuroendocrine component comprising >30% of the tumour are classified as amphicrine-like ACCs (AL-ACCs). We characterised the genomic landscape of pancreatic ACCs and AL-ACCs to validate current classification and identify therapeutic targets. METHODS: Among 2,151 pancreatic biopsy and resection cases that underwent targeted next-generation sequencing using the OncoPanel AMC v4.3 or v4.5 (DNA-based hybrid capture, targeting 323 genes (v4.3) or 343 genes (v4.5)), eight ACCs, seven AL-ACCs originally diagnosed as MiNENs under the 5th edition of the WHO classification scheme, and four neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) were identified, diagnosed between 2020 and 2026. RESULTS: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-associated alterations, involving BRCA1/2, ATM and FANCD2, were identified in 87.5% (7/8) of ACCs and 29% of AL-ACCs. One ACC had an ATRX nonsense mutation. Genomic heterogeneity was observed in molecular profiling of AL-ACCs; two demonstrated a 'true hybrid' signature with co-occurrence of lineage-specific drivers: MEN1 deletion and splice site mutation (neuroendocrine-associated), APC, SMAD4 and CTNNB1 alterations (exocrine-associated). Two others exhibited 'ACC-like' signatures, including missense BRCA1 and nonsense TP53 mutations and MDM4 and AKT3 amplifications, located on chromosome 1q, despite their neuroendocrine differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic ACCs frequently harbour HRD-related alterations, suggesting potential for PARP-inhibitor therapy. AL-ACCs comprise molecularly heterogeneous groups, including true hybrid and ACC-like patterns. Larger studies are required to elucidate the molecular distinction between true hybrid AL-ACCs and those with single-lineage alterations to refine their classification.

acinar↗

PubMed2026

Intraductal Papillary Squamous Neoplasm (IPSN) of the Pancreas: Histological and Molecular Characterization of a Novel and Distinct Intraductal Cancer Precursor.

We report 6 intraductal papillary squamous neoplasms (IPSNs) of the pancreas, a rare but distinctive tumor whose biological features remain largely unknown. Five cases were investigated using an integrated approach combining histomorphological evaluation, immunohistochemistry, and multiregional molecular profiling through whole-exome DNA sequencing and whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing. Only targeted DNA sequencing was available on a sixth recently diagnosed case. Histologically, the intraductal lesions were characterized by large, confluent papillae with fibrovascular cores lined by multilayered epithelial cells with diffuse squamous differentiation. All cases harbored a concomitant invasive carcinoma. The associated invasive carcinomas consistently included a pancreatic tubular/ductal adenocarcinoma; in 5 cases, a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma was also present, the proportion/features of which met the diagnostic criteria of adenosquamous carcinoma in 2 of them. Genomic analyses revealed that IPSNs and their matched invasive carcinomas shared the majority of somatic alterations, supporting a shared clonal origin for the 2 components. Activating KRAS mutations and biallelic inactivation of CDKN2A were detected in all cases. Recurrent mutations involved members of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex and KMT2D. Additionally, FGFR1 and MYC amplifications were identified in 2 distinct cases (1 case each). Molecular alterations restricted to the invasive component involved mediators of the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. Transcriptomic profiling demonstrated a basal-like expression pattern in all IPSNs and squamous cell carcinomas, although in 2 cases, the matched pancreatic tubular/ductal adenocarcinoma shifted toward a classical transcriptomic subtype. In conclusion, through integrated histological assessment and multiregional molecular sequencing, we demonstrate that IPSN represents a bona fide precursor of invasive pancreatic cancer, a new addition to the intraductal neoplasms category. This study challenges the current paradigm that pancreatic squamous epithelium plays no role in the initiation of pancreatic carcinogenesis, providing the first evidence of its involvement in early tumorigenic processes and yielding immediate implications for pancreatic tumor classification and biological understanding.

Humans↗