Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a survival rate of only 12% and few effective treatments. Furthermore, half of the patients with this cancer also have problems with insulin regulation, such as abnormally high insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone best known for controlling blood sugar, but it can also act as a growth factor to promote cancer growth. My research has shown that insulin is highly concentrated inside pancreatic tumors, at levels nearly 100 times higher than in the blood. In mice, tumors grew much faster when the animals had high insulin levels. Similarly, pancreatic cancer cells exposed to high insulin grew more rapidly in the dish. These findings suggest that insulin itself may be driving pancreatic tumor progression. Building on these results, my project will test whether lowering insulin levels can slow the growth of pancreatic cancer. In the first part of my study, I will compare tumor growth in mice that produce normal amounts of insulin versus those with reduced insulin. In the second part, I will use advanced methods to investigate the potential mechanism underlying why lowering insulin is protective in pancreatic cancer. These studies will reveal how insulin supports cancer growth and whether reducing insulin could be a viable therapeutic strategy.