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SUMMARY:Pancreatic cancer: Genetic models to develop novel diagnostic and 
 therapeutic strategies - Dr Dieter Saur\, The Technical University of Muni
 ch
DTSTART:20120529T110000Z
DTEND:20120529T120000Z
UID:TALK37056@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mala Jayasundera
DESCRIPTION:*Pancreatic Cancer: Genetic models to develop novel diagnostic
  and therapeutic strategies.*\nPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is 
 a fatal disease with poor patient outcomes often resulting from late diagn
 osis in advanced stages. To improve prognosis\, novel diagnostic and thera
 peutic strategies are urgently needed. Using various genetic PDAC models\,
  my lab investigates the role of different signal transduction pathways du
 ring tumour initiation\, progression and metastasis and translates this kn
 owledge into novel strategies for early endoscopic detection and treatment
  of the disease. To identify druggable Kras downstream signalling pathways
 \, we performed genetic gain and loss of function studies in mice. We show
  that cell autonomous PI3K/Akt signalling is an essential downstream effec
 tor of oncogenic Kras in the pancreas. Targeting the PI3K pathway in estab
 lished genetically engineered PDAC shows strong antiproliferative effects.
  These data strongly indicate that PI3K is a promising targetable node for
  pancreatic cancer prevention and therapy. In order to investigate cell au
 tonomous and non-cell autonomous signalling pathways mediating progression
 \, maintenance and therapeutic resistance of PDAC in vivo\, we have genera
 ted mouse models for sequential and host specific gene (in)activation by c
 ombining the Flp/frt with the Cre/loxP recombination system. As a proof of
  principle\, we activated a latent diphtheria toxin A allele in establishe
 d PDAC and observed profound tumour regression within a few days.\n
LOCATION:CRI Lecture Theatre\, Cambridge Research Institute
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