Research Questions:
1. What are the key genomic and proteomic alterations associated with the development and progression of pancreatic cancer?
2. How do these molecular features correlate with demographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors in the UK Biobank dataset?
3. Can findings from the UK Biobank data be used to identify potential biomarkers for clinical application?
Objectives:
1. To analyze the genomic and proteomic data of pancreatic cancer cases in the UK Biobank to identify common mutations (e.g., KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4) and protein expression changes.
2. To assess associations between molecular alterations and participant characteristics such as age, sex, environmental exposures, and lifestyle factors.
3. To generate hypotheses and insights that will be validated using independent clinical samples outside the UK Biobank.
Scientific Rationale:
Pancreatic cancer is characterized by a poor prognosis and limited effective biomarkers for early detection or targeted therapy. Using the comprehensive genomic and proteomic data within the UK Biobank, this project aims to uncover critical molecular alterations associated with pancreatic cancer. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and provide a foundation for the development of novel biomarkers or therapeutic strategies. Importantly, the UK Biobank data will be used exclusively for hypothesis generation, and clinical validation will be performed independently, ensuring non-depletable use of UK Biobank resources.