Summary

Mechanisms of pancreatic cancer carcinogenesis

We study epigenetic mechanisms of pancreatic cancer carcinogenesis (Benitz et al Gut 2019), stroma composition with regard to prognosis and treatment resistance (Mahajan et al Gastroenterology 2018, Mahajan et al JNCI Cancer spectrum 2020) as well as targeted drug delivery (Mahajan et al Gut 2016). In addition, embedded in the SFB 1321 we focus on sphingolipids as diagnostic and predictive markers as well as their role for metastasis formation in pancreatic cancer (Mayerle et al Gut 2016, SFB 1321, A14). Funded by the BMBF we have developed a plasma metabolome signature to exclude pancreatic cancer in high risk cohorts in whom imaging strategies fail and are currently validating the signature in a prospective cohort. Recruitment of 1375 patients has been closed in March 2020 and final results will become available in 2021. As a preclinical platform within the Predict-Paca Consortium funded by the German Cancer Aid (DKH) we have established an organoid platform including co-culturing models. I am one of the coordinators of the revision of the German S3 guideline on pancreatic cancer treatment and I am a member of the ESPAC trials steering committee.