Blocking harmful cell-to-cell signals in pancreatic cancer
Official title: Elucidation and targeting of paracrine cascades in PDAC
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11163415 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for and targets the signaling 'conversations' between pancreatic tumors and nearby support cells to help treatments work better for people with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $985,518 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA274312-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11163415 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, especially those who can provide tumor tissue or enroll at a participating research center, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers other than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or those unable or unwilling to provide tissue samples or travel to study sites are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This work will map how pancreatic cancer cells and the surrounding stromal cells communicate inside tumors. Researchers will analyze patient tumor samples and use lab models to trace chains of signaling molecules that protect tumors and block drug delivery. They will test ways to interrupt those signaling cascades in preclinical models to find interventions that improve drug access and immune activity. The findings are intended to point to targets for future clinical trials in people with pancreatic cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new therapies that improve drug delivery and make existing treatments more effective for pancreatic cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous attempts to remodel the pancreatic tumor stroma had mixed or harmful results, so this more comprehensive approach to mapping signaling cascades is relatively novel and designed to avoid past pitfalls.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olive, Kenneth P. — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Olive, Kenneth P.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeting epigenomic regulators to assault pancreatic cancer replication stress
This research tests a new way to treat pancreatic cancer by blocking key epigenetic regulators during DNA replication to make cancer cells less able to cope with replication stress.
-
Neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer: overcoming resistance to improve immune responses
This grant supports testing advanced neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer to boost patients' immune responses and potentially improve outcomes.
-
CD11b-activating drug to make pancreatic cancer respond to immunotherapy
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Targeting autophagy to treat KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer
This grant explores using approved drugs to block autophagy in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer to improve treatment outcomes.
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Reprogramming PDAC stroma by targeting blood clotting in the tumor environment
A cancer research grant aimed at turning the tough, fibrous pancreatic cancer environment into one that helps treatments work better and supports the body’s immune response.
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Understanding paracrine signals in pancreatic cancer to improve drug delivery
A patient-focused look at how the tumor’s signaling networks affect treatment delivery in pancreatic cancer and how targeting these networks could help therapies reach tumors more effectively.
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.