Protein biomarkers for detection of pancreatic cancer

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案描述了由胰腺癌，癌症流行病学，蛋白质组学和生物统计分析方面的跨学科专家组对候选人的培训计划。指导过程将包括流行病学和高级统计课程、导师和共同导师的批判性阅读课程、拨款写作和管理方面的培训，以及亲身参与研究的经验。这项研究的目的是开发胰腺癌的早期生物标志物。胰腺癌几乎是一种致命的疾病，因为这种癌症无法在早期诊断出来，无法治愈。此外，一旦癌症形成，化疗对生存的改善微乎其微。我们需要的是更好地了解胰腺癌是如何形成的，并利用这些知识来改善早期诊断。该研究建议使用蛋白质组学技术来鉴定胰腺癌特有的蛋白质。在初步研究中，与正常对照相比，胰腺癌汁液中30种蛋白质的丰度变化至少是正常对照的两倍。迄今为止的验证研究表明，蛋白质组学测量是稳健和准确的。对这些蛋白质的功能进行了分析；近四分之一的蛋白质是独特的，它们的功能尚未确定。本研究将为早期检测胰腺癌的血清生物标志物的开发提供基础，这也是K07应用的目标。这项研究有可能显著改变一种疾病的结果，而在过去的50年里，我们对这种疾病的研究进展甚微。此外，在学习期结束时，候选人将转变为一名训练有素的独立调查员。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes a training plan for the candidate by an interdisciplinary group of experts in pancreatic cancer, cancer epidemiology, proteomics, and biostatistical analysis. The mentoring process will include epidemiologic and advanced statistical coursework, critical reading sessions with mentors and co-mentors, training in grant writing and management, as well as the experience of the hands on research. The research proposed is to develop early biomarkers of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is an almost uniformly lethal disease because the cancer can not be diagnosed at an early, curable stage. Moreover, once the cancer has formed, chemotherapy offers only minimal improvement in survival. What is needed is a better understanding of how pancreatic cancer forms, and to exploit that knowledge to improve early diagnosis. The study proposes to use proteomics technology to identify the proteins that are specific to pancreatic cancer. In preliminary studies, 30 proteins were shown to have abundance changes of at least two-fold in pancreatic cancer juice compared to normal controls. Validation studies, to date, suggest that the proteomics measurements are robust and accurate. The proteins have been analyzed with regard to function; nearly one quarter of the proteins are unique and their function has not yet been determined. This study will provide the basis for serum biomarker development for early detection of pancreatic cancer in the general population-the goal of this K07 application. The study has the potential to significantly change the outcome in a disease against which we have made minimal headway in the past 50 years. In addition, by the end of the study period the candidate will have transitioned into a well-trained, independent investigator.