New study targets achilles' heel of pancreatic cancer
Advanced pancreatic cancer is often symptomless, leading to late diagnosis after metastases have spread throughout the body. Additionally, tumor cells are encased in a protective shield, a microenvironment conferring resistance to many cancer drugs. Professor Tony Hunter, first author Yu Shi and an international team of collaborators uncovered the role of a signaling protein, LIF, that may be a useful biomarker to help diagnose pancreatic cancer more quickly and efficiently than current screenings methods.
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