Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Imaging the Intracellular Trafficking of APP with Photoactivatable GFP
Published on: October 17, 2015
Increased expression and processing of the Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein in pancreatic cancer may influence
Donna E Hansel1, Ayman Rahman, Sven Wehner
1Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. dhansel@jhmi.edu
Abstract:
Abnormal cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the central nervous system has been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Recent work has identified additional roles for APP in peripheral tissue, such as cellular proliferation and motility. APP undergoes proteolytic processing to release a soluble NH(2)-terminal ectodomain fragment (sAPP), an Abeta or p3 peptide, and cytosolic COOH-terminal fragments. We have identified the up-regulation of APP expression in pancreatic cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. APP undergoes high levels of proteolytic processing in pancreatic cancer cells, and sAPP can be detected in collected medium in vitro. Inhibition of sAPP signaling reduces pancreatic cancer cell number via a reduction in cellular proliferation. We propose that APP may function to promote growth in pancreatic cancer cells via signaling through sAPP and may therefore represent a novel therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Chronic Pancreatitis I: Introduction
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, which occurs when the immune system becomes active and causes swelling, pain, and disruptions in organ function. Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute or chronic condition.
Acute pancreatitis arises suddenly and lasts for a brief duration, while chronic pancreatitis is a long-term affliction...
Abnormal Proliferation

