Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
The scientists found elevated levels of “cell drinking,” or macropinocytosis (green) in the stromal cells exposed to a low-nutrient environment (right), compared to normal nutrient levels that surround healthy tissue (left). The stromal cells pictured are from individuals who underwent a Whipple procedure—a surgery that is an option for select pancreatic cancer cases—which was performed by study co-author Andrew M. Lowy, M.D., professor of surgery at UC San Diego Health.