Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a particularly deadly type of pancreatic cancer, often referred to as a “silent killer.” With a five-year survival rate of just 8%, it has long been one of the most challenging cancers to treat.
However, recent research by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute has provided a potential new path for developing treatments that could change the outlook for patients with this aggressive disease.
Uncovering the Role of Cancer Stem Cells
A team led by Axel Behrens focused on cancer stem cells within pancreatic tumors. These cells play a key role in the growth and spread of the cancer.
Similar to normal stem cells, which repair tissues in our bodies, cancer stem cells can form new tumors and change into different types of tumor cells. This makes them a crucial target in the fight against cancer, as stopping them could slow or even prevent tumor growth.
In their groundbreaking study published in Nature Cell Biology, Behrens and his team identified a protein called CD9 that is consistently present on these cancer stem cells at various stages of tumor development.
The discovery of CD9 as a marker for these cells is significant because it offers a way to identify and target the cells responsible for the spread of the cancer.
CD9’s Role in Making Cancer More Aggressive
What makes CD9 particularly interesting is that it doesn’t just mark cancer stem cells—it also plays an active role in making the cancer more aggressive.
The researchers found that by manipulating CD9 levels in mice, they could control tumor growth. When CD9 levels were lowered, tumors shrank; when CD9 levels were increased, the tumors grew larger and became more dangerous.
This finding matches data from clinical studies showing that about 10% of PDAC patients have elevated levels of CD9. These patients tend to have a worse prognosis, suggesting that CD9 might be driving the cancer’s growth.
This makes CD9 not only a marker for identifying aggressive cancer stem cells but also a potential target for new therapies.
Cutting Off Cancer’s Fuel Supply
The research team also discovered that CD9 increases the cancer stem cells’ ability to absorb glutamine, an amino acid that is essential for their growth.
Cancer cells, including those in pancreatic cancer, rely heavily on glutamine to survive and multiply. By targeting CD9 and disrupting the supply of glutamine to these cells, it may be possible to “starve” the cancer and stop it from growing.
This opens the door to developing treatments that specifically block CD9 and prevent cancer stem cells from accessing the nutrients they need to thrive.
Such treatments could slow down or even halt the progression of pancreatic cancer, offering new hope to patients diagnosed with this devastating disease.
A Step Closer to Effective Treatment
While it may take time for these findings to lead to new treatments, this research represents a major step forward in understanding how pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma operates at the cellular level.
By identifying CD9 as a key player in the aggressiveness of the cancer, scientists are closer to developing therapies that could target this protein and potentially improve survival rates for those with PDAC.
For patients and their families, this breakthrough offers more than just scientific progress—it provides hope.
Pancreatic cancer has long been a disease with few treatment options and grim outcomes, but with discoveries like this, there is a growing possibility of more effective treatments in the future.
Although there is still a long road ahead, the work done by Behrens and his team shines a light on new strategies that could one day help defeat this silent killer.
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