Pancreatic cancer research in Europe

The UK government contributes to the EU research budget, which as become an important source of funding for scientific research for member states. The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development are the EU's main instruments for supporting collaborative research, development and innovations in science, engineering and technology.

The EU has been funding collaborative research on pancreatic cancer among research groups in many European countries for a number of years. This work has included the teams under Professor Neoptolemos at the University of Liverpool and Professor Lemoine at St Barts and the London (formerly Imperial College). This concerted action was named the "European Pancreatic Cancer Research Cooperative" and has received funding under frameworks programmes 3,5 and 6. In 2004 they produced a book providing an overview on the state of translational approaches to pancreatic cancer called "Exocrine Pancreas Cancer" edited by T.M. Greiss, J.P.Neoptolemos, N.R.Lemoine and F.X. Real (ISBN 3-00-016372-7).

European pancreatic cancer network

Between 2002 and 2005 they funded the Framework 5 project 'From candidate genes to medical applications (EU-FP5-project: OLG-CT-2002-01196)'. In previous years and in ongoing projects members had used various molecular techniques to identify candidate disease genes for pancreatic cancer by use of genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics. This consortium had the largest collection of candidate disease genes for pancreatic cancer in Europe, if not in the world. The major objective of the years to come is to validate these genes and to select those that contribute to the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer and are suitable targets for medical applications. The Framework 5 project has now completed.

The Framework 5 work was being continued April 2006 to March 2009 with an EU funded framework 6 project with a budget of 8.5million Euros. The consortium of 18 European institutions, companies and research groups again includes the teams at the University of Liverpool and St Barts/Queen Mary University of London.

The project, "Novel molecular diagnotic tools for the prevention and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (MolDiag-Paca)", aims to develop innovative strategies for early and accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The MolDiag-Paca Integrated Project proposes to develop novel molecular diagnostic approaches for the prevention, early diagnosis and risk stratification of pancreatic cancer. Based on large scale transcriptome, genome and proteome analyses, novel molecular techniques will be developed for the detection of cancer cells or preneoplastic cells in minimal amounts of clinical tissue (fine needle biopsies) or fluid (pancreatic/duodenal juice or serum) samples.

Novel tools will include transcript and epigentic analyses, chip technology, single or multiple marker protein studies, DNA/RNA PCR analyses, serum proteomics and molecular imaging. The project benefits from large multinational European trials such as ESPAC or EUROPAC. At the end clinical trials of novel diagnostic tools developed should be initiated.

Pancreatic cancer news from the European Pancreatic Club