Scientists understand the cause of pancreatic cancer
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Florida have developed a new strategy that can improve the treatment of ductal adenocarcinoma of pancreatic cancer, which accounts for more than 95 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. It is a fast-growing, often deadly form of cancer, resistant to traditional chemotherapy.
The results of the research were published in the January issue of the scientific journal PLoS ONE.
The researchers decoded the molecular pathways, which are constantly "turned on", which promotes the accelerated growth of pancreatic tumors. The discovery of scientists suggests that there is a way to "disconnect" these molecular pathways. Experts say that the strategy developed by them, which acts with the help of the drug "Bortezomib", which has antitumor effect, has already successfully manifested itself in several cases of blood cancer.
"The goal of our strategy is to reduce the spread of cancer cells, which can help in the treatment of pancreatic cancer," said lead author Peter Storts, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Mayo Clinic.
One of the characteristics of pancreatic cancer is the activation of NF-kappaB, which can be one of the factors of cancer resistance to chemotherapy.
NF-kappaB, a transcription factor that is implicated in inflammation associated with cancer, includes gene expression that preserves cellular proliferation and protects them from death.
There are two ways to activate NF-kappaB, the so-called classical and alternative path. Scientists have focused their attention on an alternative method of activation, in which other genes are involved in comparison with the classical way. Both ways take an active part in the development of pancreatic cancer.
The researchers found that the activity of NF-kappaB depends on a protein called TRAF2. An insufficient amount of this protein in the body contributes to the rapid growth of the pancreatic tumor.
They made this discovery by studying fifty-five pancreatic cancer specimens and found that in 69% of patients the TRAF2 protein level was inadequate, but a high level of other molecules was found that participate in an alternative way to activate NF-kappaB.
"Cocktail" of drugs, chemotherapy, "Bortezomib" and other inhibitors, can help patients with pancreatic cancer, scientists say.
Experts say that this strategy requires extensive clinical trials, but the results obtained give hope for improvement of methods of treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor, which, in terms of the prevalence of oncological diseases, ranks sixth and affects mainly elderly people. Often the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are not expressed, which prevents to diagnose the tumor at an early stage of its development.
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