Pancreatic cancer can be broadly classified into two different subtypes, with one subtype being even more aggressive than the other. How and why such subtypes develop is poorly understood.

The new study shows that in the pancreas of healthy people rare cells exist that show similarities with the most agressive subtype. The number of such cells increases with chronic inflammation in the pancreas, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Such cells could be at origin of the pancreatic tumour and its study can reveal new insights about the development of the most aggressive tumour subtype, knowledge that is important for earlier detection and better treatment. Experimental mouse models do not seem to have these cells, calling for studies on human material.