Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research. From Understanding of Mechanisms to Novel Clinical Trials (Molecular and Translational Medicine)

Subtypes of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.- Surveillance and Intervention in IPMN.- Novel Biomarkers of Invasive IPMN.- Challenges and Opportunities for Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection: Role for protein biomarkers.- Metabolic Biomarkers of Pancreatic Cancer.- Blood-Based Circulating RNAs as Preventive, Diagnostic, Prognostic and Drugable Biomarkers for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.- Circulating tumor DNA as a novel biomarker for pancreatic cancer.- PDAC Subtypes/Stratification.- Circulating Tumor Cells as Biomarkers in Pancreatic Cancer.- Personalized Models of Human PDAC.- Therapeutic Targeting of Stromal Components.- Epigenetic Targeting.- Targeting Metabolism.- Targeting the Immune System in Pancreatic Cancer.- Phase I Trials in Pancreatic Cancer.- Translational Approaches in Surgical Treatment.

This book incorporates a multi-disciplinary approach to present how research results can be translated into clinical trials. The first part begins with a chapter on variants of pancreatic cancer, precursor lesions and groups of people at risk to developing the disease. There is a particular focus on intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia as a large-scale clinical challenge in pancreatology. The next two parts focus on diagnosis, biomarkers and stratification that emphasize how various approaches to biomarker development are important as both prognostic and predictive tools. The final part consists of personalized treatment approaches that include preclinical models of pancreatic cancer and stromal, epigenetic and metabolism targeting as promising approaches to be translated into early phase clinical trials. Chapters within this part also deal with approaches that are close to being implemented in clinical practice or are already being tested in (early) clinical trials, such as those that targeting the immune systems and strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance; phase 1 clinical trials and translational approaches in surgical treatment.

Written by experts in their fields, Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research provides an outlook towards future directions by integrating information both from basic and clinical research and though demonstrating pathways to better understanding pancreatic cancer and current approaches to translating these into clinical practice.

Christoph W. Michalski
Department of Visceral, Vascular und Endocrine Surgery
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Halle (Saale), Germany

Jonas Rosendahl
Department of Internal Medicine I
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Halle (Saale), Germany

Patrick Michl
Department of Internal Medicine I
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Halle (Saale), Germany

Joerg Kleeff
Department of Visceral, Vascular und Endocrine Surgery
University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Halle (Saale), Germany