Mouse Models Shed Light on the SLIT/ROBO Pathway in Pancreatic Development and Cancer

The SLIT/ROBO pathway is classically known for its role in axon guidance, and is frequently lost in pancreatic cancer, but the biology behind this is poorly understood. Two recent articles (Nat. Commun. 2018;9:5082; Nat. Commun. 2018;9:5083) using mouse models show that SLIT/ROBO signaling is crucial to determine pancreatic cell identity during development and suppresses the stromal activation in disease, through divergent mechanisms. SLIT/ROBO proteins thus link development and cancer, but appear to have distinct functions in health and disease.