Altered cell-surface sugars that help pancreatic cancer spread
Truncated O-glycan-dependent mechanisms inducing metastatic dissemination in pancreatic cancer
This project looks at how loss of a sugar-making enzyme causes shortened cell sugars that may make pancreatic cancer spread more quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11135576 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how truncated O-glycans—shortened sugar chains on proteins—affect early spread of pancreatic cancer. They found loss of the enzyme C1GALT1 in some human tumor samples and use CRISPR to remove C1GALT1 in pancreatic cancer cells to recreate those sugar changes. The team will track how these changes alter cancer cell behavior, tumor growth, and metastasis in lab and animal models and compare findings to human tissue. They will also examine links with markers like CD44 and tumor suppressors such as p53 to identify drivers of dissemination.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with pancreatic cancer who can donate tumor tissue, blood, or clinical data, especially those with aggressive or poorly differentiated tumors.
Not a fit: People without pancreatic cancer or whose tumors do not show truncated O-glycan markers are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biomarkers or drug targets to help detect or block metastatic pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous cell and animal studies link truncated O-glycans and loss of C1GALT1 to more aggressive cancer, but translating these findings to pancreatic cancer patients remains early and limited.
Where this research is happening
Omaha, United States
- University of Nebraska Medical Center — Omaha, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ponnusamy, Moorthy P. — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Ponnusamy, Moorthy P.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.