Role of Exosomes in Pancreatic Cancer Progression A Study to Identify Markers in Blood, Urine, and Tumor Tissue Led by IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna

What this Trial Is About

This pilot study focuses on patients with pancreatic cancer to explore circulating markers in blood and urine that may be linked to the stage of the disease. The goal is to find new predictive and diagnostic markers for pancreatic cancer, a disease that is difficult to diagnose early and often has a poor prognosis. The research aims to better understand the role of extracellular vesicles and exosomes in the progression of this cancer. The study involves collecting tumor tissue, blood, and urine samples from participants. Tumor tissue will be obtained using fine needle biopsy during an echoendoscopic examination. Researchers will analyze the content of extracellular vesicles and exosomes in these biological fluids to identify proteins and nucleic acids. They will also study mechanisms related to cancer cell behavior, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and aggressiveness, to see how these vesicles relate to the cancer stage. Participants will provide samples during a single visit at baseline (visit V1). The primary outcome is the detailed characterization of extracellular vesicle and exosome content in patients with pancreatic carcinoma at this initial visit. The study is designed to gather important information that may help identify new biological markers for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and progression monitoring.

Role of Exosomes in Pancreatic Cancer Progression