CINCINNATI -- A research team led by University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists has identified a potential biological target for pancreatic cancer, a finding they say could help scientists better understand -- and eventually treat -- the disease that kills more than 33,000 people each year. In laboratory studies led by Andrew Lowy, MD, and Susan Waltz, PhD, the Cincinnati researchers found that a specific cell receptor -- known as the RON receptor tyrosine kinase -- was “overexpressed,” or increased, in pancreatic cancer cells. This, says Waltz, suggests the receptor may also contribute to the disease’s development.
