Elliot Ensink
Papers
1
Total Citations
45
H-Index
1
About
Elliot Ensink is a researcher whose work sits at the critical intersection of glycobiology and oncology, with a primary focus on improving cancer diagnostics through glycan biomarker discovery. His most impactful contribution addresses a major clinical blind spot: the roughly 25% of pancreatic cancers that fail to elevate the standard CA19-9 biomarker (sialyl-Lewis A). In his highly cited 2015 study (45 citations), Ensink pioneered a "glycan motif profiling" approach to investigate this gap. He demonstrated that sLeA-negative tumors are not silent; instead, they secrete alternative glycans, notably identifying significant elevations of plasma sialyl-Lewis X (sLeX). This work provided a crucial proof-of-concept that a broader glycan panel could capture cancers missed by the single-marker CA19-9 test. By mapping these alternative glycan signatures, Ensink’s research lays the groundwork for developing more inclusive, multi-marker diagnostic assays for pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for late detection. His findings are a vital step toward a future where no patient is missed due to the limitations of current biomarkers, directly advancing the goal of earlier and more reliable cancer diagnosis.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
- 1