Transfer Learning Associates CAFs with EMT and Inflammation in Tumor Cells in Human Tumors and Organoid Co-Culture in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

This study examined the transcriptional changes induced by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patient-derived tumor organoids. We hypothesized that cancer associated fibroblasts impacted tumor cell transcription to promote tumorigenic behavior. Using patient-matched cells from 3 patients, we compared the transcriptional profiles of patient-derived organoids in monoculture to patient-derived organoids co-cultured with CAFs. Similarly, we looked at the transcriptional changes in matched patient-derived cancer associated fibroblasts grown in monoculture or co-cultured with patient-derived organoids. With a focus on intercellular crosstalk, we identified crosstalk between cancer associated fibroblasts and patient-derived organoids through VEGFA and NRP1. This was identified by bulk RNA sequencing and examined dynamically in organoid-CAF co-culture. This dbGaP deposit is the bulk RNA sequencing data for these 3 patients. ]]>