Research

Longitudinal analysis of pancreatic cancer patients to elucidate tumor evolution across time

Through our collaboration with our advanced endoscopists here at Michigan Medicine, we leverage endoscopic fine needle biopsies to study tumors before and after cancer treatment to identify mechanisms of cell death escape and chemoresistance.

Leveraging spatial transcriptomics to parse the progression of mucinous cystic neoplasms to malignancy

Mucinous cystic neoplasms remain the only identifiable precursor lesion to pancreatic cancer.  Unfortunately, there are limited tests that can help determine which lesions will progress to malignancy.  We are leveraging spatial transcriptomics to elucidate the mechanisms that causes these cysts to transform to cancer.  Our goal is to identify better biomarkers to help decide which cysts have malignant potential and should be surgically resected.

Utilizing endoscopic biospecimens to develop patient-derived in vitro cultures for functional studies including drug testing and cell-cell crosstalk.

Historically, pancreatic cancer studies relied on surgically resected specimens, limiting the study of human disease to only resectable stages.  We have optimized a pipeline for generating organoids and fibroblast cultures from endoscopic fine needle biopsies of pancreatic tumors, allowing us to study all stages of the disease.  We utilize these in vitro cultures to help us better understand the molecular pathways underlying this dismal disease to identify better targets for therapies.