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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered as one of the deadliest types of cancer. Tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) are thin, membranous, intercellular communication structures observed in normal and cancer cells, where they mediate the exchange of intracellular material and promote cell fitness, cancer spread and treatment resistance. PDAC cells increase the formation of TNTs upon exposure to gemcitabine. In the PANC-1 cell line and in tumour explants from patients, we observe polyadenylated mRNA, 5.8S rRNA, ribosomal proteins and assembled 80S ribosomes within the TNTs. Using HaloTag-labelled small ribosomal subunit component RPS9 we demonstrate the transport of ribosomes via TNTs into acceptor cells. Downregulation of ribosomal proteins S6 and L24 decreases the number of assembled ribosomes and the global protein translation in PDAC cells, while a co-culture with translationally unimpaired cells partially restores protein synthesis in cells with impaired protein translation. PDAC cells can exchange components of the protein translation machinery and mRNA. The intercellular transfer of these components causes a partial restoration of protein translation in cells with impaired protein synthesis, which may contribute to the resilience of pancreatic cancer cells, highlighting the potential of targeting TNT dynamics as a therapeutic approach for PDAC. • Pancreatic tumour cell lines and cells from patient biopsies form tunnelling nanotubes in 2D culture. • Formation of tunnelling nanotubes is promoted by gemcitabine. • Polyadenylated mRNAs, ribosomal components and assembled ribosomes are present in tunnelling nanotubes. • Ribosomes and their components are transferred via nanotubes to acceptor cells. • Silencing of ribosomal proteins S6 and L24 reduces the number of assembled ribosomes. • Global protein synthesis and number of ribosomes in pancreatic cancer cells with silenced ribosomal proteins increases when co-cultured with translationally unimpaired cells. Significance Many normal and cancer cells form intercellular connections called tunnelling nanotubes, which allow the transfer of cellular organelles such as mitochondria. Such transfers can modify the physiological functions of donating and receiving cells. We found that nanotubes formed between pancreatic cancer cells in response to low doses of chemotherapy can also transfer ribosomes and mRNA and when cells with impaired protein synthesis due to disrupted ribosomal biogenesis are co-cultured with cells with normal proteosynthetic capacity the intercellular transfer of ribosomes can rescue the impaired protein synthesis in the receiving cells. This could be a new adaptive strategy of pancreatic cancer cells and a potential therapeutic target.