2012 Participants
Rebecca Rigby
The project will investigate markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process believed to underlie the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), thought to be drivers of pancreatic cancer progression and spread. Within pancreatic tumours CSCs are a small subset of cells displaying stem-cell properties such as self-renewal and a higher capacity to migrate (and therefore form secondary tumours.) To identify such cells, the project investigates the cellular markers characteristic of epithelial and mesenchymal cells to compare their presence in both normal and cancerous tissue, to identify cells within tumours that have undergone EMT and highlight possible targets for effective treatments.
Funding source: Newcastle University