| Theme |
Pancreatic Cancer : Up-to-date |
| Title |
Molecular Biological Research on Pancreatic Carcinogenesis |
| Author |
Toru Furukawa |
Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences, Tokyo Women's Medical University |
| [ Summary ] |
Pancreatic cancer is thought to develop through dysplastic changes of epithelial cells in the pancreatic duct. The term "pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN)" was coined for these dysplastic lesions. A hypothesis concerning multistep carcinogenesis was developed based on the concept of PanIN progression. This has come to be known as the "progression model". This progression model has been confirmed by experiments using genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) in which mice with artificial genetic aberrations were tested. GEMMs may pave the way to understanding complex mechanisms of carcinogenesis and developing innovative medications for pancreatic cancer. |