Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Syngeneic Mouse Orthotopic Allografts to Model Pancreatic Cancer
06:20

Syngeneic Mouse Orthotopic Allografts to Model Pancreatic Cancer

Published on: October 4, 2022

Molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer

Gourdas Choudhuri1, Divya Singh

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. gc@sgpgi.ac.in

Tropical Gastroenterology : Official Journal of the Digestive Diseases Foundation
|March 4, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with limited treatment options. Understanding its genetic mutations is key to developing effective early diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis, with most patients ineligible for curative surgery due to early metastasis.
  • Metastatic pancreatic cancer patients have a survival rate of less than one year.
  • There is an urgent need to translate molecular insights into clinical applications for pancreatic cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of the molecular basis of pancreatic cancer.
  • To highlight the role of genetic mutations in pancreatic tumorigenesis.
  • To emphasize the need for further research into molecular alterations for improved diagnostics and therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of molecular studies on pancreatic cancer.
  • Analysis of genetic mutations, including oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, growth factors, and DNA mismatch repair genes.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on molecular tumorigenesis.

Main Results:

  • Pancreatic cancer is characterized by multiple genetic mutations.
  • Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, growth factors, and DNA mismatch repair genes are implicated in pancreatic cancer development.
  • Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the precise contribution of each molecular alteration.

Conclusions:

  • Effective therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer are lacking beyond surgical resection.
  • Further elucidation of molecular alterations is crucial for developing targeted therapies and early diagnostic tools.
  • Translating molecular knowledge into clinical practice is essential to combat this aggressive cancer.

More Related Videos

Reprogramming Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Pluripotency07:08

Reprogramming Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Pluripotency

Published on: February 2, 2024

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma06:21

Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Published on: November 19, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However, invadopodia can...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Chronic Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology01:21

Chronic Pancreatitis II: Pathophysiology

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive and irreversible inflammation of the pancreas, most often caused by long-term alcohol abuse, but it can also be related to ductal obstruction, smoking, or genetic factors.Chronic pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas is repeatedly exposed to harmful agents like alcohol, smoking, ductal obstruction, or genetic predisposition. These factors lead to the release of toxic metabolites and inflammatory cytokines, sustaining chronic inflammation in the pancreatic...