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Investigating Pancreatic Cancer's Nutrient Use

This study aims to understand how pancreatic cancer cells get and use nutrients to survive, which is called metabolism. If you have pancreatic adenocarcinoma and are scheduled for surgery, you might be able to participate. During your surgery, you would receive a special sugar called uniformly-labeled [13C]glucose intravenously (through a vein). This sugar helps doctors trace the metabolic activity of your cancer cells in lab experiments. By comparing these cancer cells to normal pancreatic cells, researchers hope to discover new ways to target and treat pancreatic cancer. The main goal is to measure how pancreatic cancer uses glucose and other nutrients, with measurements taken for up to two years.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 16 participants. The study does not specify a phase.
What's involved
You would receive uniformly-labeled [13C]glucose intravenously before and during your surgery. You would also undergo mandatory small excisional and core biopsies of tumor and normal tissue during surgery.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Measurements of your metabolism will be taken for up to two years.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05296421

Investigating Targetable Metabolic Pathways Sustaining Pancreatic Cancer

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalBasic science
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
~16 participants
Updated 2026-05-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:BiopsyTherapeutic Conventional SurgeryUniformly-labeled [13C]glucose

At a glance

Recruiting sites
2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
To measure glycolysis metabolism dependencies via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)
Measured over Up to 2 years

Conditions

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Explore related trials

Pancreatic Carcinoma

Where it's being run

2 sites across 1 states
New Jersey2

Study leadership

  • Howard S Hochster, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Who to contact

Howard Hochster, MD
[email protected]
732-235-5912
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Male or female patients \>= 18 years of age
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients, previously diagnosed by biopsy, who are candidates for intended curative resection either with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Willing to undergo mandatory intraoperative small excisional and core biopsies (4-6 passes) of tumor and normal tissue for research purposes at the time of proposed pancreatectomy
16 patients will be enrolled including 8 with no prior treatment and 8 treated with at least 3 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy
All patients must be able to understand the investigational nature of the study and give written informed consent prior to study entry

Exclusion

Patients receiving any anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or biologic therapy) for 8 patients; the other 8 patients will be treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy but no radiation, biologic or immunotherapy prior to surgery
Is currently enrolled, or will enroll in, a different clinical study in which investigational therapeutic procedures are performed or investigational therapies are administered while participating in this study
Concomitant active malignancy
Is of child-bearing potential who has not had a recent negative pregnancy test done outside of this clinical trial (i.e., as part of standard preparation for diagnosis and treatment for her cancer)

What this trial measures

  • To measure glycolysis metabolism dependencies via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)Up to 2 years

    To describe and discover new insights into the glucose metabolic dependencies of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The measure is to analyze in vivo U13C-glucose labeled pancreatic cancer biopsies. The blood collection will to allow for in depth evaluation of glycolysis metabolism