Understanding Pancreatic Cancer's Response to Pre-Surgery Treatment
Official title: Improving response prediction to neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11141863 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to find better ways to tell if chemotherapy given before surgery is working for people with localized pancreatic cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $288,565 |
| NIH project number | 5K08CA286749-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141863 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with localized pancreatic cancer who are considering or undergoing chemotherapy before surgery might be ideal candidates for future applications of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with advanced, metastatic pancreatic cancer or those not receiving pre-surgical chemotherapy may not directly benefit from this specific research focus.
What this research studies
Pancreatic cancer can be challenging, and even after surgery, it often returns. To improve outcomes, doctors often give chemotherapy before surgery, but it's hard to know if this treatment is truly effective for each patient because tumors don't always shrink in size. This project will carefully examine tumor samples from patients who have received pre-surgery chemotherapy. By studying the unique features of these tumors at a cellular level, we hope to discover specific markers that predict how well the cancer will respond to treatment. This knowledge could help doctors choose the most effective treatment plan for each individual.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors personalize treatment for pancreatic cancer patients, ensuring they receive the most effective chemotherapy before surgery.
How similar studies have gone: While pre-surgical chemotherapy is common, identifying specific molecular predictors for individual patient response in pancreatic cancer is a novel area where understanding is still developing.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singh, Harshabad — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Singh, Harshabad
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving response prediction to pre-surgery therapy in pancreatic cancer
A doctor-led program will study molecular clues from pancreatic cancer patients to better predict who will respond to chemotherapy before surgery.
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Predicting how pancreatic cancer responds to treatment before surgery
This study is looking to find out how different types of pancreatic tumors react to chemotherapy given before surgery, so we can better personalize treatment for patients and improve their outcomes.
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Microbial Dysbiosis and Its Role in Pancreatic Cancer
A doctor-researcher team at Northwestern University is studying how gut bacteria influence pancreatic cancer and its response to immunotherapy to find new ways to help patients.
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Targeting aberrant enhancer landscapes in pancreatic cancer
A patient-facing look at a project that aims to understand how pancreatic cancer changes its cell identity and what that means for treatment.
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Exosome-based microRNA biomarkers for early, non-invasive detection of pancreatic cancer
A study to develop a blood test that uses tiny RNA signals in exosomes to detect pancreatic cancer early, aiming to help people at risk or with early disease.
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Exosome-based microRNA biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic cancer
A patient-friendly look at a study using tiny blood-based RNA markers inside exosomes to catch pancreatic cancer early without invasive procedures.
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.