Gras, Michelle E.

Pancreatic cancers are difficult to treat with a 13% survival rate. Factors such as hypoxic niches within the cancer promote drug resistance, while enzymes such as membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) are linked to disease etiology. MT1-MMP’s transmembrane region is implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis. However, little is known about the cytoplasmic tail (MT1-MMP-CT). Recent studies have linked MT1-MMP-CT and the transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible-factor-1-subunit-alpha (HIF-1α); a transcription factor that is stable only under hypoxia. This study uses flow cytometry to quantify the co expression of HIF-1α and MT1-MMP-CT among human pancreatic cell lines, under both normoxia and hypoxia. This study seeks to understand more about the relationship between MT1-MMP and HIF-1α in normoxic and hypoxic conditions within pancreatic cancer.