A target and biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Invention 2018-071
A target and biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
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A biomarker for predicting liver metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has been identified at UU直播.
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Market Need
In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), liver metastasis is the main cause of death. What many wonder, however, is how one cancerous cell type can travel and then grow in a completely different organ. For PDAC, scientists believe that pancreatic cancer cells activate stellate cells, which are known to interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) during tissue remodeling and cancer metastases. After activation, pancreatic stellate cells travel to the liver and interact with liver stellate cells, potentially remodeling the ECM of the liver in a pro-metastatic fashion.
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Technology Summary
With this technology, a known oncofetal protein has been recognized as a protein capable of activating a pro-metastatic environment in the liver. As this protein can accelerate metastasis of PDAC cells to the liver, this could be a very important biomarker for the disease. With a small molecule screen, this could also be a good target for drug therapy since silencing this protein reduced liver metastasis. The importance of predicting liver metastasis cannot be overstated as the only treatment for PDAC is surgical removal, but less than 20% of patients are eligible since metastasis has typically occurred before diagnosis.
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Advantages
- There are currently no known biomarkers for predicting PDAC liver metastasis
- No targeted drugs that significantly reduce mortality for this disease
Patent Status
Background IP for Research Opportunity