Please select the desired project time frame:
- July 2026
- January 2026
- July 2025
- January 2025
- July 2024
- January 2024
- July 2023
- January 2023
- July 2022
- January 2022
- July 2021
- January 2021
- July 2020
- January 2020
- July 2019
- January 2019
- July 2018
- January 2018
- July 2017
- January 2017
- July 2016
- January 2016
- July 2015
- January 2015
- July 2014
- January 2014
- July 2013
- January 2013
- July 2012
- January 2012
- July 2011
- January 2011
- July 2010
- January 2010
- July 2009
- January 2009
- July 2008
- January 2008
- July 2007
- January 2007
- July 2006
- January 2006
- July 2005
- January 2005
- July 2004
- January 2004
- July 2003
- January 2003
- July 2002
- January 2002
- July 2001
- January 2001
Start of funding 01.07.2008
Inhibition of Telomerase by GRN163L as a Novel Modality to Deplete Cancer Stem Cells in Pancreatic Cancer
Prof. Dr. med. Christopher Heeschen
Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik Großhadern, Bereich Exp. Forschung Chirurgie
Dr. Robert Tressler
Geron Incorporation
Product Development
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most frequent cause for cancer related deaths with a 5-year survival rate of only 1-4% and a median survival period of 4-6 months. We found that standard chemotherapy treatment with gemcitabine is not capable of eliminating but rather increasing the percentage of cancer stem cells (CSCs), suggesting that this standard therapy preferentially targets more differentiated and rapidly proliferating neoplastic cells. Therefore, other treatment modalities need to be evaluated, which may in addition allow removal of CSCs with the promise to eventually cure patients with pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this collaborative effort between the Ludwig-Maximilian-University and Geron Corporation (Menlo Park, CA, U.S.A.) is to investigate whether inhibition of telomerase by GRN163L, a potent enzymatic inhibitor of telomerase, may be capable of suppressing the clonogenic potential of CSC in vitro and in vivo.