Clinical Research Directory

Innovative Therapeutic Treatments to Inhibit Perineural Invasion in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Sponsor: IRCCS San Raffaele

Summary

The overall goal of this project is to develop new therapeutic approaches to limit Perineural invasion (PNI) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PNI, has its higher incidence in PDAC, in which it is a recognized risk factor of poor survival. Considering the clinical relevance of PNI and its role in PDAC, it is urgent to identify molecular PNI signatures to develop new therapeutic strategies. We have recently identified a molecule that is activated in pancreatic cancer cells and initiate PNI. In this project we will hamper the signaling of this molecule in vitro, in human and murine organoids cocultured with myelinated Schwann cells neuronal cocultures, and in vivo in a mouse model faithfully reproducing human PNI. Thus, we will enroll patients undergoing surgical resection for PDAC, and a small piece of the resected tissue, performed for normal clinical practice after pathology evaluation, will be used to develop organoids. This project is designed as an observational multicentric, transversal study. San Raffaele Hospital (OSR) is the only center enrolling patients. The main goal of this Aim is to validate the effectiveness of NP-loaded hydrogel-based developed by CNR Nanotec Lecce, in vitro in organoids, which represent a suitable system to study PDAC.

Key Details

Conditions

Interventions