Molecular Profiling of Circulating Tumour Cells and Circulating Tumour DNA: Complementary Insights from a Single Blood Sample Utilising the Parsortix System.

The study of molecular drivers of cancer is an area of rapid growth and has led to the development of targeted treatments, significantly improving patient outcomes in many cancer types. The identification of actionable mutations informing targeted treatment strategies are now considered essential to the management of cancer. Traditionally, this information has been obtained through biomarker assessment of a tissue biopsy which is costly and can be associated with clinical complications and adverse events.

Enhanced effect of X-rays in the presence of a static magnetic field within a 3D pancreatic cancer model.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of static magnetic field (SMF) presence on the radiation response of pancreatic cancer cells in polyurethane-based highly macro-porous scaffolds in hypoxic (1% O) and normoxic (21% O) conditions, towards understanding MR-guided radiotherapy, shedding light on the potential interaction phenomenon between SMF and radiation in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment.

Methods: Pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1, ASPC-1) were seeded into fibronectin-coated highly porous polyethene scaffolds for biomimicry and cultured for 4 weeks in normoxia (21% O) followed by a 2-day exposure to either hypoxia (1% O) or maintenance in normoxia (21% O). The samples were then irradiated with 6 MV photons in the presence or absence of a 1.

On the Evaluation of a Novel Hypoxic 3D Pancreatic Cancer Model as a Tool for Radiotherapy Treatment Screening.

Tissue engineering is evolving to mimic intricate ecosystems of tumour microenvironments (TME) to more readily map realistic in vivo niches of cancerous tissues. Such advanced cancer tissue models enable more accurate preclinical assessment of treatment strategies. Pancreatic cancer is a dangerous disease with high treatment resistance that is directly associated with a highly complex TME.

Novel Anticancer and Treatment Sensitizing Compounds against Pancreatic Cancer.

The isolation of chemical compounds from natural origins for medical application has played an important role in modern medicine with a range of novel treatments having emerged from various natural forms over the past decades. Natural compounds have been exploited for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor capabilities. Specifically, 60% of today's anticancer drugs originate from natural sources.

3d tissue models as tools for radiotherapy screening for pancreatic cancer.

The efficiency of radiotherapy treatment regimes varies from tumour to tumour and from patient to patient but it is generally highly influenced by the tumour microenvironment (TME). The TME can be described as a heterogeneous composition of biological, biophysical, biomechanical and biochemical milieus that influence the tumour survival and its' response to treatment. Preclinical research faces challenges in the replication of these milieus for predictable treatment response studies.