Dresden, 09.12.2024
Newly Funded “EP Permed” Project Targets Pancreatic Cancer Diversity for Better Diagnosis and Treatment
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to become the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Europe by 2040. Unlike other types of cancer, survival rates for pancreatic cancer have barely improved over the past 50 years, and the typical patient lives only 8–10 months after diagnosis. This is mainly due to the lack of actionable combinatorial biomarkers and theranostic agents targeting the non-genetic heterogeneity in PDAC. Now, an international research consortium, under the coordination of Michele Solimena of the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID), will tackle these issues.
In parallel to researchers from the PLID, the multidisciplinary and international project team includes experts from research institutions such as the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan, the Institute for Research and Biomedicine (IRB), the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona and Inserm at the Cancer Research Center of Marseille (U.1068). The team will receive almost two million euros through the European Partnership for Personalized Medicine (EP PerMed) for the “COMBAT-PDAC” project, which aims to develop and validate combinatorial strategies to target phenotypically distinct PDAC cell populations in each tumor.
© EP Permed
Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive and deadly disease, with a median survival rate of less than 12 months after diagnosis. Despite significant advances in medical research and treatment, the survival rate for PDAC patients has not improved significantly over the past 50 years. One of the main reasons for this is the high level of genetic diversity within tumors, which makes it difficult to develop effective treatments. This diversity is characterized by the presence of multiple cell populations with distinct genetic and molecular profiles, which can lead to treatment resistance and disease progression. Researchers have attempted to classify PDAC tumors based on their molecular characteristics, but these systems have limitations and do not account for the tumor's natural diversity. “For example, many classification systems rely on bulk transcriptomic data, which can mask the underlying heterogeneity of the tumor. As a result, these systems have limited clinical impact and do not provide a comprehensive understanding of the tumor's biology”, said Prof. Solimena. “To improve treatment outcomes, it's essential to develop new approaches as well as biomarkers that can accurately capture and address the tumor's intrinsic heterogeneity. PDAC is a frequent comorbidity of diabetes. Intriguingly, our work on the biology of pancreatic beta cells led us to serendipitously identify a potential novel biomarker and target for PDAC detection and therapy.”
© Frank Möller/PLID, created with Biorender.com
In the next three years, the COMBAT-PDAC project aims to address this gap by focusing on understanding and targeting the whole spectrum of heterogeneous pancreatic cancer cells present in individual tumors. By combining several advanced methods, such as in-depth genetic analysis, data-driven insights, and innovative therapies including engineered antibodies and engineered T lymphocytes (CAR-T cells), the COMBAT-PDAC scientists seeks to find ways to effectively target the many types of cells within a single tumor. The project’s ambiguous goals include identifying and validating specific markers that can detect the diverse cell types in pancreatic tumors, creating and testing tools to specifically target these different cells, and understanding how these markers influence the progression of the disease. This comprehensive approach could reveal new strategies for diagnosis and pave the way for personalized treatment options.
“Through these efforts, our COMBAT-PDAC team hopes to develop groundbreaking tools that better address the complexity of pancreatic cancer, potentially improving outcomes and survival for patients”, concludes Solimena.
The Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) is one of Germany's Universities of Excellence, esteemed for its exceptional standards in research and teaching spanning diverse fields. The Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden is dedicated to propelling medical science and healthcare forward through interdisciplinary collaboration and pioneering research. https://www.uniklinikum-dresden.de/en
The Paul Langerhans Institute of Helmholtz Munich at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and the Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden (PLID) contributes decisively to a better understanding of the mechanisms of the disease and to explore new therapeutic options. The institute is a founding-partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.) and has been a satellite institute of Helmholtz Munich since January 2015. Its program comprises research into the pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The main focus is on the mechanisms which cause the destruction and/or limited function of pancreatic beta cells and insufficient insulin secretion. In addition, the PLID also plays an outstanding role as only German transplant center for human pancreatic islet cells. https://tu-dresden.de/med/mf/plid
The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is a national association that brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, translational research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The aim is to develop novel strategies for personalized prevention and treatment of diabetes. Members are Helmholtz Munich – German Research Center for Environmental Health, the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrücke, the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Munich at the University Medical Center Carl Gustav Carus of the TU Dresden and the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of Helmholtz Munich at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen together with associated partners at the Universities in Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig, Lübeck and Munich. www.dzd-ev.de/en
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