Ms Tanzeel Khan

Research project: Prognostic significance, predictive value and targeting of HER family members in pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive type of human cancer. There is an urgent need for the development of novel and more effective drugs for the treatment for patients diagnosed with this type of cancer. The aims of this PhD research program are to investigate the role of growth factor receptors in the progression of pancreatic cancer and the response to treatment with various agents blocking these growth factor receptors. The results should help to unravel the underlying mechanisms of the primary resistance (i.e. patients do not respond to treatment) and secondary resistance (i.e. patients response of short duration) to treatment with growth factor receptor inhibitors and the therapeutic advantages of such agents when used in combination with other agents. This PhD project uses a wide range of techniques including: cell culture, Cell proliferation assay, migration assays, FACS, Western blot analysis and Immunohistochemical examination of tumor specimens from pancreatic cancer patients.