Indiana University Study Identifies Liver Clotting Protein As Key Driver Of Pancreatic Cancer Growth And Liver Metastasis

IU researchers find that reducing the clotting protein fibrinogen shrinks pancreatic tumors and prevents them from spreading to the liver in mouse models.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 5:33 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Indiana University

The Link Between Coagulation and Cancer Progression

Pancreatic cancer patients frequently suffer from high rates of blood clots and deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a phenomenon that has long been observed by clinicians. To investigate whether this is a byproduct of the disease or a driver of it, a research team at the IU School of Medicine focused on fibrinogen, a protein produced by the liver. When tissues are injured, fibrinogen is converted into fibrin to form the structural backbone of blood clots. According to Dr. Melissa L. Fishel, the study aimed to determine if these coagulation proteins actively support the dense, protective environment that pancreatic tumors use to thrive.

[Image: Comparison of healthy pancreas tissue vs. tumor tissue showing fibrin deposition]

Shrinking Primary Tumors and Reducing Metastasis

Using two different methods to deplete fibrinogen in mouse models, the researchers observed a significant impact on tumor behavior. According to the study published in Gastroenterology, the absence of fibrin led to a dramatic reduction in the size of primary pancreatic tumors. Perhaps more importantly, the depletion of the protein also hindered the cancer’s ability to metastasize to the liver. Because a liver diagnosis often indicates a grim prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients, the ability to limit tumor burden in that specific organ is considered a major breakthrough by the IU Pancreatic Cancer Working Group.

Altering the Tumor Microenvironment