The project
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed late and cancer cells can adapt, spread, and resist treatment. Some cancer cells are particularly aggressive, rapidly invading surrounding tissue and altering their environment to fuel disease progression. This project investigates when and where these cells arise, how they interact with the immune system and the tissue surrounding tumours and what metabolic vulnerabilities they have. The main goal is to identify targets that could improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients
What are you going to do?
We are analysing hundreds of pancreatic tumour samples using advanced imaging technologies that examine thousands of molecules in every cell simultaneously, giving us information about the metabolism of these. This will allows us to map aggressive cancer cells within tumours, understand how they interact with immune cells and other surrounding tissue and identify their metabolic weak points. Once identified, we will test these potential therapies using tumour models in the lab that closely mimic real pancreatic tumours and evaluate if these can slow cancer spread and improve responses to standard treatments
Why is this research important?
Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer. One of the reasons behind this is that aggressive cells can resist treatment and spread rapidly. By uncovering how these cells arise, survive and interact with the tissue surrounding tumours, this research could lead to new therapies that overcome treatment resistance. In addition, identifying metabolic vulnerabilities in these cells may also improve prognostic tools in the clinic, helping clinicians tailor treatments to individual patients. Our findings could additionally inform future clinical trials, offering new hope to those affected by pancreatic cancer.
How to get involved
We will establish a patient advisory group (PAG) comprising people with lived experience of pancreatic cancer specifically. We have already engaged and set up a patient advisory group with patient advocates through Independent Cancer Patients’ Voice (ICPV) during the design of the fellowship and afterwards, which is also shaping the project aims and approach. However, none of the current members have personal experience with pancreatic cancer and we believe it is essential that the voices of those directly affected inform and guide the research as it progresses.
The PAG will meet twice or three times per year, according to the availability of the group, and meetings will last around an hour. Meetings can be held virtually or in person at Barts Cancer Institute, depending on what works best for them; we would prefer in person but happy with either. If in person, we would like to show members around the labs to see the research first hand.
In total, we aim to recruit four to six people, to have a range of perspectives while maintaining a manageable group. We would like members to provide input at all key milestones, from interpretation of findings, relevance of emerging results and dissemination of outputs. Besides the meetings, we will update the group with regular project updates between meetings. They will be encouraged to raise priorities or concerns at any given point ensuring the research remains patient-focused and grounded in experience.
The opportunity is open to anyone with lived experience of pancreatic cancer, including patients and close family members or carers. If the group meets in person, being based in London or around would be a requirement but if online, anyone is welcome.
No scientific background or prior experience is needed to take part in this opportunity.
Next steps
If you are interested in joining this focus group or would like more information, please email the Jaume (jaume.barceloperez@qmul.ac.uk) quoting the involvement reference ‘RIN Participation’.
