We concurrently developed PurIST, a single sample classifier for tumor-intrinsic molecular subtypes, and DECODER, a de novo approach for deconvolving bulk tumors and determining tumor and TME specific characteristics. Our results demonstrated two types of PDAC stroma—normal and activated—the latter of which predicts shorter survival and CAFs as the contributory cells. Patients can have a combination of tumor/stroma subtypes that diversely affect outcome. We hypothesize that different stroma cell types, such as iCAFs and myCAFs, might differentially educate different tumor subtypes. CAFs and tumor cells together have been found to alter tumor progression and response, so it is critical to understand their interactions and the heterogeneity of the stroma overall. One of our aims is to develop an integrative CAF-tumor subtype classifier to predict response to treatment for patients. For more information click here
Jen Jen Yeh, MD, is a professor of Surgery at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence. She maintains an active clinical practice caring for patients with endocrine (thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal) diseases and pancreatic cancer. Her research centers on the use of genomics to identify new approaches for addressing pancreatic cancer and seeks to identify vulnerabilities in tumors to better guide treatment for patients.
Naim Ur Rashid, PhD, is an associate professor of Biostatistics at UNC-Chapel Hill. He engages in collaborative studies at UNC Lineberger, working with physicians and researchers on problems relating to genomics and clinical studies. He also aids in the design of cancer clinical trials at UNC and elsewhere, serving as trial statistician on a number of active protocols. His methodological work spans several areas in genomics and statistics, addressing problems facing basic science, translational, and clinical researchers in cancer.
Susan Tsai, MD, MHS, FACS, is a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Division of Surgical Oncology and Department of Surgery, and is the director of the LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program. She is the Chief of Hepatopancreaticobiliary Surgery at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. Her clinical expertise is in GI oncology with a focus on pancreatic cancer. Her research is focused on clinical trials and blood-based biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.