Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	119680
Country	China

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Opinion Review
Article Title	Unlocking the metastatic switch: The RHEB-CSF1R complex ignites epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer by autophagy
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Ying-Ru Xing, Shu-Fen Wang, Jing-Jing Dai, Xiao-Guang Xu and Wen-Jun Mao
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Key Research and Development and Transformation Project of Naqu City No. NQKJ-2025-07 Voyage Plan Talent Training Program of Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Hospital No. PRYYH202501
Corresponding Author	Wen-Jun Mao, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, No. 299 Qingyang Road, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China. maowenjun1@njmu.edu.cn
Key Words	Pancreatic cancer; Autophagy; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor; Mammalian target of rapamycin; Ras homolog enriched in brain; Growth factors
Core Tip	Pancreatic cancer is among the malignancies with the poorest outcome. The lethal nature of this disease stems not from primary tumor growth, often resectable in the minority of patients presenting with localized disease, but from early, occult dissemination to distant organs. Consequently, understanding and targeting the molecular machinery driving metastasis represents the paramount challenge in pancreatic cancer therapeutics. In a recent study identified a novel protein complex between Ras homolog enriched in brain and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor that regulates autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition to promote pancreatic cancer metastasis. This article critically examines the significance of these findings, contextualizes them within the current understanding of mammalian target of rapamycin biology and tumor microenvironment interactions, and proposes the direction of mechanism research and therapeutic transformation.
Citation	Xing YR, Wang SF, Dai JJ, Xu XG, Mao WJ. Unlocking the metastatic switch: The RHEB-CSF1R complex ignites epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer by autophagy. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; In press

Received	2026-02-03 01:26
Peer-Review Started	2026-02-03 01:28
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-02-27 09:09
Return for Revision	2026-02-28 04:05
Revised	2026-03-09 05:55
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-05-06 03:20
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-05-06 06:10
Articles in Press	2026-05-06 06:10
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
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