According to the Global Cancer Observatory 2022 report, pancreatic cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Japan, with over 47,000 new cases and more than 40,000 deaths, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the country.

Exploring the role of CTDNEP1 in cancer

In search of potential treatments, Ms. Mayuka Nii, a second-year doctoral student, and Professor Tadayoshi Hayata from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tokyo University of Science, Japan, have turned their attention to the gene CTD nuclear membrane phosphatase 1 (CTDNEP1). This gene encodes a phosphatase involved in several cellular pathways and is known to be involved in medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain tumor.