—Nadine Emil’ (Mentor: Kristen Johnson)
Pancreatic cancer poses a significant healthcare challenge due to its aggressive nature and dismal prognosis, marked by a five-year survival rate of merely 11.5%. Early stages often lack specific symptoms, resulting in late-stage diagnosis, which hampers effective treatment. Recent studies have revealed a notable depletion of primary cilia, essential organelles for cellular signaling, in advanced pancreatic cancer. Primary cilia are crucial for receiving and interpreting external signals, particularly in the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, which governs tissue development and organization.
My research in Dr. Johnson’s lab focused on FOXN2, a protein that we hypothesize negatively regulates ciliogenesis, or the formation of cilia, and Hh signaling, and impacts pancreatic cancer progression. This study aimed to investigate the novel role of FoxN2 in ciliogenesis using molecular biology techniques. Preliminary results agree with our hypothesis and show the potential for shedding light on the biology of ciliogenesis and the connection between FoxN2 and pancreatic cancer.
