Pancreatic cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, with a poor survival rate, largely due to metastasis. A study published in Advanced Science by University of California, Davis researchers revealed that the protein Engrailed-1 (EN1) promotes pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis in vitro and in mouse models. EN1 was also found to be associated with severe, metastatic pancreatic cancer in human patients, indicating its potential as a target for pancreatic cancer therapies. The researchers are now working on translating their findings into clinical practice by developing different ways to target EN1 and investigating other nongenetic factors contributing to pancreatic cancer progression.
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