Researching the cures

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Dr Claus Jorgensen

Dr Jorgensen is investigating an enzyme that allows pancreatic cancer cells to hijack surrounding cells to form a protective coating called the stroma.

Project Title: Targeting enzymes for stromal normalisation
in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Claus_JorgensenProject Aims: Pancreatic tumours have a thick protective coating called the stroma, which contains certain types of cells hijacked from neighbouring tissues that have been forced to help the tumour survive and grow. Dr Jorgensen has discovered that blocking a particular enzyme in these hijacked cells returns them to their normal state. This project will investigate how this happens and whether interfering with this enzyme will make the tumour cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy.