Scientists have taken a significant step towards treating pancreatic cancer, after a new study showed that an experimental three-drug therapy managed to completely eliminate the disease in laboratory models.
A research team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) developed a new treatment that eliminated all pancreatic tumors in mice. The findings were published in the prestigious scientific journal PNAS.
According to the study, the therapy targets a mutation in the KRAS gene, which is found in about 90 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. This mutation turns the gene into an oncogene – a form that promotes uncontrolled cell growth and division, leading to the development of cancer.
Historically, KRAS has been extremely difficult to treat. Even when drugs have managed to temporarily block it, cancer cells have found alternative ways to survive and spread.
Why does the new therapy work?
Unlike previous approaches that relied on a single drug, the new treatment combines three different drugs, which simultaneously block three cancer “survival pathways.” This makes it much harder for tumors to grow or develop resistance to treatment.
According to the researchers, this indicates that pancreatic cancer is likely to require combination treatments, rather than therapies based on a single drug.
The study, led by renowned professor Dr. Mariano Barbacid, was tested in three different mouse models:
– mice genetically modified to develop pancreatic cancer,
– mice with implanted human pancreatic cancer tissue,
– and mice with cancer cells implanted directly into the pancreas.
In all cases, the triple therapy eliminated the cancer cells, leading the study authors to conclude that the results are strong enough to serve as the basis for clinical trials in humans.
“These studies pave the way for the development of novel combination therapies that may improve survival in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,” the authors write. “These results provide a clear basis for new clinical trials.”
Be careful with interpreting the results.
However, the researchers also highlight limitations of the study: the mice were generally young and healthy, unlike many human patients, and the results were only observed in animals, not humans.
Despite this, the discovery is being considered very promising, both by the scientific community and by Spanish authorities. The Spanish Embassy in the United Kingdom called the achievement “complete and sustainable elimination of pancreatic cancer in experimental models,” stressing that it could make a real difference in the fight against this disease.
One of the deadliest cancers
Currently, pancreatic cancer is considered incurable. Less than 11 percent of patients live more than five years after diagnosis, and many of them die within the first few months.
The disease is particularly aggressive because it spreads quickly to other organs, blocks bile and intestinal ducts, and impairs vital functions. Furthermore, the pancreas plays a key role in digestion and the production of hormones such as insulin, so damage to it also leads to serious blood sugar disorders.
The most common symptoms include jaundice, loss of appetite and weight, fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation – often when the disease is already in an advanced stage.
In the UK, around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year and over half of them die within three months. There are currently no tests for early detection, and around 80 per cent of cases are discovered when life-saving treatment is no longer possible. /GazetaExpress/
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