New Strategies to Target Pancreatic Cancer
Abstract
Our research addresses the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Topic Area of Pancreatic Cancer, and the Military Health Focus Area of gaps in the cancer care spectrum that may impact mission readiness and the health and well-being of military personnel, their beneficiaries, and the general public. Scientific Objective and Rationale Our research addresses the PRCRP Topic Area of Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic cancer is currently the third leading cause of cancer related deaths. Despite some recent advances in systemic therapy, the 5-year survival remains at 9% in large part due to the aggressive nature of the disease and its capacity for metastasis. There are currently no effective strategies to treat metastatic disease. To address this need, we will test whether blocking a specific molecular pathway (which we recently identified as being critical for the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors) may be an effective approach to treating metastatic disease, as well as other aggressive subtypes of pancreatic cancer for which targeted therapies are desperately needed. Thus, these studies could be transformative for pancreatic cancer therapy because if successful, they would lead to an effective treatment strategy to block the growth and spread of advanced stages and diverse subtypes of pancreatic cancer. Near-Term Impact and Ultimate Applicability of the Research For a disease such as pancreatic cancer, where outcomes remain the worst of all common human malignancies with a 5-year survival rate of 9%, there is an acute need to identify pathways that control disease progression so that effective new approaches to therapy can be developed. Our proposed work focuses on potential new targets in pancreatic cancer metastasis which, together with methods to block these pathways, may provide a new approach to treating advanced stages of the disease. Most importantly, our work has the potential for accelerated translation and impact as drugs targeting this protein are already in clinical trials for autoimmune diseases, and thus have the potential to be rapidly repositioned for testing in pancreatic cancer. Based on the models and tools we have developed as well as the strong foundation upon which this proposal is based, we are confident that the proposed studies are feasible and anticipate identifying new targets to treat pancreatic cancer metastases and a broader range of pancreatic cancer subtypes within the 3-year funding period of this award. Military Relevance While pancreatic cancer, with its high rate of lethality, is difficult for any family to manage, it can be especially challenging for military personnel and their families. More than most cancers, pancreatic cancer care requires multidisciplinary teams and involves complex chemotherapy regimens that are very resource intense. If military personnel are stationed overseas, their access to the best available treatment options may be limited, which could reduce their life expectancy even further. Alternatively, they may be stationed in the United States but far from extended family, members of which could provide critical emotional and physical support in the face of this devastating disease. Further, the work military personnel perform is psychologically and physically demanding; thus the impact of the disease and its treatment (surgery/chemotherapy) on the ability of affected military personnel to perform their jobs would be disproportionately greater than on general civilian populations. Importantly, the development of new, effective strategies to target pancreatic cancer would lead to a better prognosis and an increased quality of life, thus easing the burden of affected military personnel. This in turn would allow personnel to continue to serve in the military and fulfill their mission to defend the nation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2010611
Entities
People
- Tannishtha Reya
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of California, San Diego