IU Researchers Target Clotting Protein in Pancreatic Cancer

Depleting fibrinogen could slow tumor growth and metastasis, study finds

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that depleting a clotting protein made by the liver could slow down pancreatic cancer. The study, published in Gastroenterology, shows that reducing fibrinogen in mouse models shrinks primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors and reduces their ability to metastasize to the liver.

Why it matters

Pancreatic cancer is known to have high rates of blood clots, and the proteins involved in blood coagulation may be driving the disease progression. Reducing fibrinogen, a key clotting protein, could potentially improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients, especially by limiting metastasis to the liver which is associated with a poor prognosis.

The details

The researchers used two different methods to deplete fibrinogen in mouse models of pancreatic cancer. They found that when fibrin was not present, there was a dramatic reduction in primary tumor size as well as fewer liver metastases. The study used multiple tumor cell models, including two derived from IU patient samples. Researchers also tested tumor models that resulted in metastatic sites in the liver or lung, and found no difference in metastatic growth with or without fibrinogen, suggesting the protein impacts the primary tumor cells in the pancreas to alter their behavior and aggressiveness.

  • The research was recently published in Gastroenterology in March 2026.

The players

Melissa L. Fishel, PhD

An associate professor of pediatrics and the Myles Brand Scholar in Cancer Research at the IU School of Medicine, as well as a researcher at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and co-leader of the Cancer Biology and Microenvironment research program at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center

A cancer research center at Indiana University that conducted this study on reducing fibrinogen to slow pancreatic cancer.

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What they’re saying

“It's well known that pancreatic cancer patients have some of the highest rates of blood clots or deep-vein thrombosis, or DVTs. We wanted to understand whether the proteins involved in blood coagulation and clotting are driving the disease or are a byproduct of the disease.”

— Melissa L. Fishel, Associate Professor (Mirage News)

“When fibrin was not there, we saw a dramatic reduction in primary tumor size as well as liver lesions. When pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver the patient prognosis is grim, so we were very excited by the possibility of reducing that tumor burden and metastasis.”

— Melissa L. Fishel, Associate Professor (Mirage News)

“Something about not having fibrin in the primary pancreatic tumor site really changes those tumor cells, so they are either less likely to leave the pancreas or are somehow unable to make a liver lesion.”

— Melissa L. Fishel, Associate Professor (Mirage News)

What’s next

Next steps for this research include combining fibrinogen-targeted approaches with chemotherapy or emerging pancreatic cancer therapies, since reducing fibrinogen led to delayed disease progression — not a cure — in the mouse models.

The takeaway

This study highlights the potential of targeting the clotting protein fibrinogen to slow pancreatic cancer progression, especially by limiting metastasis to the liver which is a major driver of poor prognosis in this deadly disease. Further research combining fibrinogen-targeting with other therapies could lead to more effective treatments for pancreatic cancer patients.