Omics profiles of Cancer Stem Cells in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, an environmental influenced cancer
Author(s)
Fanelli, Giuseppina
Date Issued
May 31, 2019
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic neoplasm,
accounting for more than 85% of pancreatic tumor cases. It is estimated that only 10% of
pancreatic cancer cases are hereditary, and the remaining 90% are due to environmental risk
factors, which are largely modifiable. Among the external factors, nutrition, especially lipid
metabolism plays a crucial role in the development of cancer. However, the complex interaction
between oncogenic signaling and lipid metabolism and the broad spectrum of lipid functions at
both the cellular and organic levels, underline the importance of a more detailed understanding of
alterations of lipid metabolism in cancer. It is now universally accepted that metastasis, chemi resistance and PDAC disease relapse are driven by a subpopulation cancer stem cells (CSCs).
The aim of this thesis is to investigate metabolic changes of Panc CSCs of PDAC, with particular
attention to lipid metabolism.
This study is essentially addressed through "omics" approaches with the purpose of obtaining
clearer evidence of the effective involvement of these nutrients in the molecular bases of
neoplastic diseases. Moreover in order to develop CSC-targeted therapies, new formulations were
investigated demonstrating increases its anti-proliferative activity on pancreatic CSCs. The
improvement of knowledge of deranged metabolic pathways, in particular in cancer stem cells,
will accelerate the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Ecologia e gestione sostenibile delle risorse ambientali
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