The project
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) are a rare cancer of hormone-producing cells. The drug everolimus limits nutrients available to cancer cells, but resistance often develops. Rachel Luo aims to understand how PanNETs survive using internal nutrients when external sources are blocked. She will test whether PanNETs use these recycled molecules as fuel to resist treatment.
What are you going to do?
Rachel will analyse patient tumour samples using advanced technologies to identify areas where the recycling process is active. In the lab, she will grow PanNET cells under nutrient-limited conditions to track whether recycled molecules are used for energy. Finally, she will test whether blocking this process makes cancer cells more sensitive to treatment, potentially identifying better drug combinations.
Why is this research important?
PanNET cells normally store hormones in tiny packages called secretory granules. In many tumours, these packages build up because cells lose the ability to release them. Cells have a natural recycling system called crinophagy that breaks down excess packages into amino acids, including glutamate and aspartate. Rachel’s study will test a new idea: PanNET cells may use these recycled molecules as fuel to help them survive treatment.
How to get involved
This research opportunity id open to anyone affected by pancreatic cancer including patients, survivors, carers and loved ones.
No scientific background or prior experience is needed to take part in this opportunity.
Next steps
If you would like to join the focus group, please contact Rachel (rachel.luo@icr.ac.uk) quoting the involvement reference ‘RIN involvement’
