The project
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) are a rare type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for less than 10% of pancreatic tumours, and are therefore much less well studied. Earlier research has provided important insights into how blood vessels develop and support tumour growth in this disease.
However, detailed analysis of differences between blood vessel cells within these tumours is still lacking. This gap is clinically important because treatments acting on tumour blood vessels have shown clear benefit in some patients, while others respond better to chemotherapy. Understanding these differences is a major unmet need.
What are they going to do?
In this study Professor Anguraj Sadanandam and Dr Christophe Cisarovsky will analyse 17 tumour samples from patients enrolled in a clinical trial assessing the role of chemotherapy and a treatment targeting tumour blood vessels, with detailed clinical and genetic information available. Cutting-edge technologies will be used to describe different blood vessel types and their links with the immune system, as well as how these vessels influence tumour energy production.
Together, these approaches will generate the largest integrated map of this rare pancreatic cancer subtype, which will be made publicly available.
Why is this research important?
Anguraj and Christophe’s work addresses an under-represented form of pancreatic cancer by focusing on the unique biology of tumour blood vessels. Current blood-vessel-targeting treatments mainly slow tumour growth rather than cause tumour shrinkage, and their toxicity leads to treatment interruption in up to 20% of patients.
A deeper understanding of vessel diversity and its interaction with tumour and the immune system may explain differences in treatment benefit. These insights could support more personalised and precision-based treatment strategies, reduce unnecessary exposure to toxic therapies and improve the clinical use of existing drugs
How to get involved
The team would like patients, survivors, carers and loved ones with experience of pancreatic cancer to review a project summary. This involves reading the summary and answering some questions on it. This is completed anonymously and electronically. If you are interested in taking part please email the Research Team (research@pancreaticcancer.org.uk) quoting the involvement reference ‘Blood vessel document review’
No scientific background or prior experience is needed to take part in this opportunity.
