The inhibition of growth and metastasis of human pancreatic ductaladenocarcinoma by MART-10

Abstract

Previous studies demonstrated that MART-10, an analog to the active form of vitamin D3, has anti-cancer properties in
anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). It can inhibit ATC’s metastasis by altering cadherin protein expression and preventing
the EMT process. This study aims to investigate the effect of MART-10 in a different system, pancreatic ductal
adenocarcinoma (PDAC), in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Methods: The study will use two known PDAC cell
lines. The cells will be treated with increasing MART-10 for various durations. In vitro metastasis will be measured
by trans-well migration and Matrigel invasion assay, in vitro proliferation will be measured by CCK-8 assay, and the
interaction between MART-10 and PDAC will be investigated with Western blot. Mice will be injected with tumor
cells and treated with increasing MART-10; in vivo tumor growth and metastasis will be recorded weekly. The positive
control for the experiments is ADH-1 (Exherin), and the negative control is PBS in DMSO. Possible results: There
are three main possible results: (1) MART-10 inhibits the growth and metastasis of PDAC cells; (2) MART-10 acts as
a stimulant for PDAC growth and metastasis; (3) MART-10 has no significant effect on the growth and metastasis of
PDAC. Conclusion: The result of the study will provide important insight into the preclinical effectiveness of MART10 in PDAC; it also sets the basis for future clinical studies of the drug. Future studies should investigate the mechanism
underlying MART-10’s effectiveness in PDAC or search for drug combinations with MART-10 that synergize the
disease.