Project title: Identification of coding and novel regulatory mutations in DNA Damage Response (DDR) pathway genes as personalised targets for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer
Project aims: Some pancreatic cancer patients have faults in genes involved in repairing DNA, such as the BRCA2 gene, which makes the cancer more likely to respond to certain treatments. Prof Lowery will study tumour samples to find changes in different regions of these genes and assess how this affects the response to drugs which target defective DNA repair. She hopes the results will inform a clinical trial where patients are matched with drugs most likely to benefit them.