March 16, 2026 – Pancreatic cancer may start hiding from the immune system long before it is clinically detected, according to a new study from researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU).

The research, published in Gastroenterology, reveals that early precancerous pancreatic cell groups also seem to communicate directly with nearby immune cells in ways that may weaken the body’s ability to fight them.

The study led by Dr. Oren Parnas and conducted by HU student Sebastian Arcila-Barrera, with the help of Dr. Sharona Tornovsky-Babeay, of the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University, combined single-cell RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics to examine pancreatic tissue samples. The results could help scientists develop better ways to spot pancreatic cancer earlier.

“Our findings show that these early altered cells are not randomly distributed,” said Dr. Parnas. “Instead, cells with similar identities tend to cluster together, forming semi-homogeneous niches that appear to actively interact with specific immune cell populations.”

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is among the deadliest forms of cancer, largely due to late diagnosis and limited treatment options. Although precancerous lesions can exist for a decade or more before invasive cancer develops, little is known about how these early cellular changes are structured or how they influence the local tissue environment.

The study revealed that certain metaplastic cell states are consistently found in close proximity to immune cells associated with immune suppression, including specific subsets of neutrophils and macrophages. These interactions were linked to gene expression patterns known to dampen immune activity, suggesting that immune evasion may begin well before cancer becomes invasive.

Sebastian Arcila-Barrera noted that the organization of these cells provides important clues about disease progression. “The spatial patterns we observed suggest that cell identity is established early, followed by localized expansion,” he explained. “This helps clarify how premalignant lesions develop and evolve over time.”

Dr. Sharona Tornovsky-Babeay emphasized the translational importance of the findings: “Understanding the process of lesion formation and development, we may be able to better identify high-risk lesions and, in the future, design strategies that intervene before cancer fully develops,” she said.

Together, the results offer a more detailed picture of the earliest events in pancreatic cancer initiation and highlight how spatial organization and immune interactions may shape disease outcomes long before symptoms appear.

The research paper titled “Acinar Metaplastic Cells Generate Semi-Homogeneous Niches and Interact with Immune Cells” is now available in Gastroenterology and can be accessed here.

Researchers:

Sebastian Arcila-Barrera¹, Oshri Yosefov-Levi¹, Yehuda Shovman¹, Yi Sun², Cheng-Yi Chen², Jiang He², Lior Lubek¹, Benjamin Glaser³, Sharona Tornovsky-Babeay¹, Karine A. Atlan⁴, Oren Parnas¹

Institutions:

1. The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
2. Vizgen Inc., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
3. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
4. Department of Pathology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.