Fig. 2.

Transition of molecular subtypes during model system establishment. (A) PDAC molecular subtypes based on gene expression are largely divided into three lineages: basal, classical, and non-cancerous. (B-C) Clonal evolution and TME transition occur during model system construction. These phenomena alter gene expression levels of both cancer and stromal cells, leading to differences in molecular characteristics of cancer cells compared to primary tissues. Also, model systems do not perfectly mimic patient’s TME. (D) Unique properties of culture conditions and clonal evolution in each model system yield skewed proportions of three PDAC subtype lineages.