Analysis of Metabolic Pathways in Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells

Abstract

Cancer stem cells are now thought to play a critical role in cancer relapse and metastasis, therefore finding a way to target these cancer stem cells is crucial to cancer treatment. One such way to target the cancer stem cells is with drugs that target their metabolic phenotype. Cancer stem cells could have either a glycolytic or oxidative phosphorylation phenotype, there is not conclusive evidence on which phenotype cancer stem cells have. This proposed project will determine the metabolic phenotype of both the pancreatic cancer stem cells as well as the differentiated cancer cells. The data from the metabolic profiling will determine which drugs to use to treat the cancer stem cells. A viability assay will then be performed to determine the effectiveness of the drugs in targeting the cancer stem cells. This project will help determine the correct metabolic phenotype of pancreatic cancer stem cells as well as testing drugs that target the metabolic phenotype on their ability to kill cancer stem cells.