The full-length TF gene (1360 base pairs) was cloned into the plasmid DNA vector pcDNA3 in sense and antisense orientations, and these vectors were used to transfect the MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line.
In addition, TF expression was determined by immunofluorescence in pancreatic tissues of 19 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PCa), 9 patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and 20 normal controls.
The primary transcript of tissue factor, the main physiologic trigger of blood clotting, can undergo alternative splicing yielding a secreted variant, termed asTF (alternatively spliced tissue factor). asTF is not required for normal hemostasis, but its expression levels positively correlate with advanced tumor stages in several cancers, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Thus, the prevalent TF expression in TNBC and PaC renders these challenging tumors highly susceptible to TF-targeted treatment and may offer new opportunity in cancer patients.