RICERCA SU NUOVI BIOMARCATORI PER LA DIAGNOSI DEL TUMORE DEL PANCREATICO CON PARTICOLARE ATTENZIONE ALL'IDENTIFICAZIONE E CARATTERIZZAZIONE DI BIOMOLECOLE IN DIVERSI MATERIALI BIOLOGICI

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, with a low survival rate due to late-stage diagnosis and its aggressive nature. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for 90% of PC cases and develops from precursor lesions such as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN). This study focuses on evaluating clinical, biochemical, metabolomic, and genetic factors in patients with pancreatic cystic lesions, primarily IPMNs, to identify potential biomarkers for early detection and risk stratification. Samples from 26 IPMN patients, obtained through endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), underwent comprehensive biochemical, flowcytometry, metabolomic, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) analyses. High-risk patients exhibited distinct biochemical, cellular, and metabolomic profiles compared to low-risk individuals, including lower cystic fluid lymphocytes, proteins, LDL-cholesterol, and altered metabolites related to tryptophan metabolism. NGS revealed distinct genetic variants linked to PC risk and IPMN mechanisms. Findings underscore the potential of integrating biomarkers from multiple modalities for early detection, risk stratification, and improved management of PC and IPMN.