Role of adrenomedullin in the cross talk between pancreatic cancer and the pancreatic stroma

The project forms the part of a larger fully funded Wellcome trust discovery project currently underway within the group of Prof Tim Skerry and Dr Gareth Richards.

Pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer, but in the next 15 years, it will become the second highest cause of cancer-related death. Unlike almost all other cancers, the prognosis has not changed in the last 30 years. After diagnosis, outcomes are very poor, with 1-year and 5-year survival rates of <25% and <5% respectively.

The best current therapies offer only a few months of increased life expectancy, and patients’ quality of life is poor despite palliative treatments. There is clearly a pressing need for better treatments for pancreatic cancer.

Adrenomedullin is a hormone involved in cancer growth and spread, which also has important roles in the control of blood pressure. Adrenomedullin acts through two different receptors one of which mostly regulates blood pressure. The other has important roles in cancer biology. We have shown that in model systems, blockade of the receptor reduces tumour growth and spread. We have developed novel lead compounds to block the adrenomedullin-2 receptor and inhibit its important roles in cancer, while keeping its normal functions.

The specific project aims to understand how adrenomedullin interacts with the pancreatic stromal tissue and aids the in the growth and development of pancreatic cancer. And to evaluate the use of novel small molecules in the treatment of pancreatic cancer