DDX21 Controls Cell Cycle Progression and Autophagy in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive disease, with a 5-year survival rate < 10%. Current therapies are poorly effective, thus urging the identification of new therapeutic approaches to face this lethal cancer. The RNA helicase DDX21 was recently shown to be upregulated and to associate with poor prognosis in PDAC. Our study shows that DDX21 is further upregulated in liver metastasis with respect to the primary PDAC lesions, and that depletion of DDX21 triggers autophagy while perturbing the cell cycle progression of PDAC. Together, our data support the oncogenic function of DDX21 in PDAC cells and uncover biological processes and pathways modulated by this RNA helicase.