Preventing chemotherapy resistance and improving treatment for pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic Cancer ARTNet Center
This center is developing new therapy combinations and lab tests to help people with pancreatic cancer whose tumors stop responding to standard chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181520 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how pancreatic tumor cells and the surrounding stromal and immune cells change when exposed to chemotherapy, focusing on signaling and metabolic shifts. The team will use laboratory models, genetic screens (including CRISPR-based approaches), and metabolic assays to identify drivers of acquired drug resistance. Promising combinations and targets will be tested in preclinical models with coordination across the ARTNet network and NCI partners to speed translation. The goal is to move the most effective strategies toward clinical testing to keep treatments working longer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with pancreatic cancer, especially those who have received or may receive standard chemotherapy and whose tumors are not responding or have developed resistance, would be the primary candidates for related clinical efforts.
Not a fit: People without pancreatic cancer or those with tumors driven by unrelated mechanisms are unlikely to benefit directly from this program in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment strategies that keep chemotherapy effective longer and improve survival or quality of life for people with pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous preclinical and some early clinical efforts targeting tumor signaling and metabolism have shown promise in sensitizing cancers to therapy, but durable success in pancreatic cancer remains limited, so this work is partly building on prior leads and partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Oklahoma City, United States
- University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr — Oklahoma City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singh, Pankaj Kumar — University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
- Study coordinator: Singh, Pankaj Kumar
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.