Controlling the Burden of Metastatic Disease in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Abstract
Background: People with pancreatic cancer die because of the overwhelming spread of the disease (metastasis) -- typically within a year of diagnosis. There is a dire need to identify and treat the reasons for the rapid spread of this cancer. Pancreatic cancer cells can invade surrounding tissues by moving as clusters or as single cells. Remarkably, we do not know how these cells enter the bloodstream to metastasize. It is critical that we discover how these cancerous cells enter the bloodstream so we can develop therapies to block the process. By studying breast cancer, we previously identified cellular structures within tumors called TMEM doorways, which act as portals for cancer cells to enter the bloodstream. Moreover, we found that a drug called Rebastinib can prevent these doorways (also in breast cancer). Now, we intend to examine this phenomenon in pancreatic cancer and determine whether we can inhibit metastasis with this drug. Focus Area: Understanding the events that promote pancreatic cancer metastasis. Innovation: Using our unique, high-resolution microscopes and fluorescence marker technologies, we will for the first time directly show how pancreatic cancer cells enter the bloodstream and spread. We will also determine whether the process can be blocked with Rebastinib, a drug that is currently being studied in a clinical trial for breast cancer metastasis. Impact: Success of these studies will provide crucial evidence that will enable the development of drugs that inhibit pancreatic cancer metastasis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210734
Entities
People
- John Mcauliffe
Organizations
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- United States Army