Unlocking the metastatic switch: The RHEB-CSF1R complex ignites epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer by autophagy

Figure 1 Growth factors inhibit autophagy and promote anabolic metabolism by the Ras homolog enriched in brain-colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor axis. The figure was generated by the Gemini 3 Pro Image model (version: Gemini-3-pro-image-preview) and Nano Banana. It illustrates that growth factors inhibit autophagy and promote anabolic metabolism, both mediated by activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/Ras homolog enriched in brain (RHEB)/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. Additionally, a positive feedback loop exists between RHEB and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor that activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/RHEB/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in pancreatic cancer. RHEB: Ras homolog enriched in brain; CSF1R: Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor; AKT: Protein kinase B; PI3K: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin; EMT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; LC3: Light chain 3.