Grant: Project Grant

During cancer progression, a subset of cancer cells become very aggressive and gain the ability to spread to other organs, i.e., metastasize, which is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. In a recent study, we investigated how aggressive metastatic cells arise in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs, rare cancer originating from the islet beta-cells of the pancreas). We found that during the progression of PanNETs, the initially transformed beta-cells lose their original distinct features, such as insulin secretion, and activate characteristics of their progenitor state in the embryo. This process, known as cancer dedifferentiation, gives rise to highly aggressive and metastatic cells. During this grant, we will identify critical factors for PanNET progression and metastasis. Understanding the molecular pathways and players of dedifferentiation might lead to better future therapeutic approaches to improve patient survival and quality of life.