Researchers at the Salk Institute and UC San Diego have identified a cell surface sugar, antithrombin-binding heparan sulfate (HSAT), as a promising therapeutic target in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Their study reveals HSAT’s abundance in pancreatic epithelial cells and its protective role against tumor progression and metastasis. Patients with higher HSAT levels demonstrated better survival rates, and circulating HSAT may serve as a biomarker for disease monitoring. This discovery could herald new strategies to slow PDAC, a cancer noted for late diagnosis and poor prognosis.