# Understanding the origins of rapid recurrence of pancreatic cancer after resection

> **NIH NIH P30** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $191,618

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: This application is being submitted in response to the Notice of Special
Interest (NOSI) identified as NOT-CA_21-100. It consists of a research and career development plan for the
NCI’s Early-stage Surgeon Scientist Program (ESSP) pertaining to the rapid recurrence of pancreatic cancer
after surgical resection. The objective of this proposal is to understand the origins of pancreatic cancer that
recurs within six months of surgical resection in the liver, a devastating phenomenon that is poorly understood,
while advancing the skills, methodology, and competencies necessary for independence as a surgeon-scientist.
The first aim is based on a novel, immune competent mouse model that recapitulates rapid recurrence. It is
designed to deeply characterize the biologic underpinnings of this phenomenon with single-cell RNA sequencing
of tissues in pre-, intra-, and post-metastatic compartments that are not possible to obtain in humans followed
by robust histologic contexture and analysis of the primary and metastatic tumors and their microenvironments.
We will investigate the mechanisms by which surgical intervention itself may disseminate or exacerbate
metastases. The second aim will evaluate in parallel tissues and derived cell lines from patients who experienced
a rapid recurrence after surgery, comparing these to the tumors and cell lines from patients who did not recur for
at least eighteen months. The objective of this aim is to characterize the immune and microenvironmental
contexture of these tissues and the behavior of the cell lines to understand translational applications and
generate additional lines of inquiry over the period of the proposed study. Both aims are geared towards
elucidating how cancer cells, the tumor itself, and systemic factors contribute to mechanisms of rapid recurrence.
Additional studies will be designed as the subject of the grants, abstracts, and papers outlined in the curriculum
as a part of the ESSP. Throughout this proposal, a robust yet attainable curriculum has been structured to
improve experimental design and promote mastery of techniques and methodologies that will be broadly
applicable to a successful transition to independence as a surgeon scientist. I have established an excellent
mentoring team in my primary mentor Dr. Rosalie Sears and my co-mentors Dr. Jonathan Brody and Dr. Brett
Sheppard, all leaders within our cancer center, pancreatic cancer biology, and surgical science. Additional
expert advising and training has been established with content leaders at our institution, and will undertake
training in lab management, leadership in team science, genomic data science, seminars in the biology of
metastasis through coursework in the school of medicine, and the NCI’s Bioinformatics Training and Education
Program. My goal is to advance as an independent surgeon-scientist, achieving a NIH K08 career development
award over the course of this program. Through this work, we hope to be...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10538443
- **Project number:** 3P30CA069533-24S2
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN J DRUKER
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $191,618
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 1997-08-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10538443

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10538443, Understanding the origins of rapid recurrence of pancreatic cancer after resection (3P30CA069533-24S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10538443. Licensed CC0.

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