Abstract 2601: ROCK1 as a potential therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer

ROCK1, or Rho-associated coiled coil-containing protein kinase 1, is a multifunctional member of the AGC (protein kinase A/G/C) kinase family that has been implicated in the modulation of stress-fiber assembly, cell-cell adhesion, cell contraction, apoptosis, cytokinesis, and in the migration and invasion of multiple cell types. Increased ROCK1 expression has been observed in a number of pathological conditions, including cancer. We identified a low frequency (4/34) amplification of the ROCK1 gene locus at chromosome 18q11.1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patient tissue samples by aCGH analysis. We therefore hypothesized that ROCK1 might play an important role in pancreatic cancer progression, and may serve as a suitable target in pancreatic cancer treatment. Consistent with findings in other tumor types, we observed increased expression of ROCK1 in pancreatic epithelial cells relative to the surrounding stromal cells, or adjacent normal pancreatic ductal cells, in an immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of a pancreatic cancer tissue array. In our study, 76% (53/70) of tumor samples exhibited 2+ or greater (scale 0-3+) in staining intensity by IHC analysis, versus 40% (19/47) of adjacent normal tissue samples (P