Targeting pancreatic cancer vulnerabilities

Background

In Australia, over 3900 people are expected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. This devastating cancer carries one of the lowest survival rates, with only around 10-11% of those diagnosed expected to live beyond five years.

In a solid tumour like pancreatic cancer, the effectiveness of chemotherapy can be patchy. Some areas of the tumour will respond well to treatment, whereas other areas may remain unaffected.

The research

In this project, Professor Timpson and his team will use cutting-edge imaging technology and lab models that mimic pancreatic cancer to enable them to watch tumour response to treatment in real-time and to map the areas of the tumour where treatment has little of no effect. By observing live pancreatic cancer in this way, the team hope to identify the factors that limit treatment effectiveness, how best to target tumour vulnerability, and when to attack these vulnerabilities for maximum effect.