A fourth-year medical student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) has helped uncover a surprising clue in one of the deadliest cancers. Thomas Mandel Clausen’s research points to a little-known sugar molecule that could one day help doctors detect pancreatic cancer earlier—and potentially slow its spread.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Impact Factor 13.6), began a year–and–a–half before Clausen entered JABSOM.
“I started working on this research right after COVID, while at UCSD,” Clausen said. “We had just published a big study on COVID and thought some of the reagents and techniques we developed could be applied to pancreatic cancer. That’s when we discovered something interesting.”
Clausen’s research centers on a sugar molecule called HSAT. It works like heparin—a compound known for thinning blood—by interacting with proteins in the body. His team discovered that both normal pancreatic cells and the earliest cancer cells make HSAT.
“Basically, pancreatic cancer cells are making a heparin–like sugar—something we thought was very rare in humans. That’s the big discovery,” Clausen explained.
They also found that early pancreatic tumors release more HSAT into tissues and blood, meaning it could help detect cancer sooner. But when the team used CRISPR gene editing to stop cells from making HSAT, the cancer became more aggressive.
Clausen said this shows HSAT may not only signal when cancer is present but could also help slow its growth.
Balancing science and medicine
While these findings could have broad implications for pancreatic cancer treatment, Clausen’s path to this discovery has been equally remarkable. Originally from Denmark, he trained as a biochemist, earning a PhD in clinical cancer research and completing two postdocs before pursuing medicine.
“It feels amazing. I’ve been working on this manuscript for the three years I’ve been a medical student. It’s a huge relief to see it published,” he said.
“Back in Denmark, we call people like me ‘eternal students,’ the ones who never finish,” he joked. “As a scientist, we do a lot of cool studies and publish a lot, but it’s hard to see your research directly impact patients. That’s what I yearn for.”
Clausen hopes to become an oncologist who combines patient care with research, conducting studies that directly affect patients and their disease.
Read more at JABSOM.
