Individualized Medicine For Pancreatic Cancer
Personalized medicine is, well, personal! An important and evolving research area for pancreatic cancer, personalized (or precision) medicine focuses on creating custom treatment strategies based on a patient’s unique genetic and tumor markers and mutations.
Lustgarten-funded research is exploring various approaches and technologies for the most effective way to personalize medicine.
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Organoids
Like a microscopic version of an individual patient’s tumor, organoids are 3D “avatars” grown in the lab from samples of a patient’s pancreatic tissue. These mini tumors allow researchers to observe pancreatic cancer from its beginning and repeatedly test new diagnostics and therapies in the lab. The development of the organoid system was a monumental step forward in pancreatic cancer research because it effectively brings the patient into the laboratory.
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DNA and RNA Sequencing
Studies suggest approximately one-third of pancreatic cancer patients may have a genomic alteration that could impact treatment decisions and guide doctors to choose a specific therapy for a personalized medicine approach. Read more to learn about the protocol that was implemented to perform whole exome-DNA and RNA-sequencing for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
