OU study ties cholesterol use to pancreatic cancer resilience, tests statin combo therapy

University of Oklahoma researchers have received a five-year, $2 million NCI grant to study how pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma reprograms cholesterol metabolism, guided by the RNA-binding protein ZC3H15, which helps cancer cells resist chemotherapy and undergo EMT. The team will use patient-derived models and mice to uncover cholesterol-driven survival mechanisms and will evaluate adding rosuvastatin to FOLFIRINOX to improve treatment effectiveness.