Enhancing electroporation delivery for pancreatic cancer

Principal Investigator: Dr. Patrick Forde

Researcher: Katie Cooke

Research kindly supported by the Teddy Daly Memorial Climb

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Summary:

The project aims to develop a therapy that has the ability to overcome treatment resistance in pancreatic cancer.

A panel of pancreatic cancer cells have been selected and theses will be tested for their sensitivity and resistance to commonly used chemotherapy drugs such as Gemcitabine. Once the cells sensitivity and resistance has been identified electrochemotherapy (ECT) will be applied to improve upon the response rate of these resistance cells.

ECT combines electroporation with chemotherapy drugs allowing for a more of the chemotherapy to be delivered inside the cells. We will also combine cancer cell cycle modulators to improve upon the resistance by slowing down the cells from dividing and multiplying. The slowdown in cell division makes cancer cells more susceptible to electrochemotherapy. The overall goal is to develop a clinical relevant protocol that can be used in patients to treat resistant pancreatic cancer.

Publications

Ali MS, Gill KS, Saglio G, Cilloni D, Soden DM, Forde PF. Expressional changes in stemness markers post electrochemotherapy in pancreatic cancer cells. Bioelectrochemistry. 2018 Aug;122:84-92. doi: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.03.009. Epub 2018 Mar 15. PMID: 29574322.

Fernandes P, O’Donovan TR, McKenna SL, Forde PF. Electrochemotherapy Causes Caspase-Independent Necrotic-Like Death in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Aug 14;11(8):1177. doi: 10.3390/cancers11081177. PMID: 31416294; PMCID: PMC6721532.

 

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Start year:
2018
End year:
2020
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Patrick Forde
Researcher:
Katie Cooke
Institution:
University College Cork
Grant funding:
Research kindly supported by the Teddy Daly Memorial Climb
Cancer type:
Pancreatic cancer
Linked Breakthrough Research Priorities: 
1, 4

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