New Avenues in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: A Q&A with Corina Antal, PhD
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers—due in large part to the current lack of effective treatments. Moores Cancer Center Member Dr. Corina Antal is leading groundbreaking research, recently funded by a V Foundation Grant, to uncover new therapeutic treatments for pancreatic cancer. Her research targets the role of RNA-binding proteins in the progression of pancreatic cancer to reveal novel mechanisms that drive tumor growth and drug resistance. These mechanisms can be harnessed to provide more effective treatments. In this Q&A, Dr. Antal describes the focus, importance, and impact of her research.
What specific problem or challenge does your research address?
Due in part to the limited treatment options for it that are available, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest of all cancers. My research centers on gaining new insight into the mechanisms of cancer progression to identify new therapeutic approaches for this terrible disease.
Why is this research meaningful and important?
My research team takes an innovative approach—we target the role that both epigenetic dysregulation and the pathological phosphorylation of RNA-binding proteins play in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Given our limited understanding of how these mechanisms contribute to both tumorigenesis and the emerging role of RNA-binding proteins in driving cancer, my research has the potential to uncover novel molecular mechanisms that drive cancer progression, which can be leveraged to better treat pancreatic cancer.
How did you become interested in this type of research?
I wanted to work on a difficult-to-treat cancer—one that has a major need for treatment and, therefore, a big opportunity to help patients and improve their quality of life. In terms of the science, my interest in this current project stemmed from the essential role that RNA-binding proteins play in gene regulation, and their emerging importance in cancer biology.
What are the expected results or outcomes of your research?
My research team hopes to (1) identify key dysregulated RNA-binding proteins that drive pancreatic cancer progression, (2) elucidate the molecular pathways that they regulate, and (3) and assess their potential as therapeutic targets.
How do these results help our community, research field, and clinical practice?
My team’s research of the dysregulation of RNA-binding proteins in pancreatic cancer will increase our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance. This understanding can be used to develop new therapeutic strategies, which can improve treatment options and outcomes for patients who face pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Corina Antal's groundbreaking research at Moores offers new hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer. By targeting RNA-binding proteins, her research exhibits extreme promise to identify new therapeutic strategies that could revolutionize treatment options and improve patient outcomes and quality of life.