Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment. A team of researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has developed a new blood test that could help doctors catch the disease earlier, improving patients’ chances of survival.
The new test, called PAC-MANN, stands for “protease activity-based assay using a magnetic nanosensor.” It works by detecting changes in certain proteins, known as proteases, in the blood.
These proteins become more active in people with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common and aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. The researchers believe that measuring protease activity can help identify cancer sooner than current methods.
Why Early Detection Matters
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because symptoms are often vague or go unnoticed. By the time it is found, the cancer has usually spread, making treatment options limited. Currently, doctors use a blood test that measures a protein called CA 19-9 to monitor the disease, but this test is not reliable for early detection.
Dr. Jared Fischer, one of the lead researchers at OHSU, explained that the goal of PAC-MANN is to give doctors a better tool to detect pancreatic cancer earlier. “The problem with pancreatic cancer is that we often catch it too late,” he said. “Our goal is to provide a test that allows for earlier detection when more treatment options are available.”
Dr. Jose L. Montoya Mira, the study’s lead author and a research engineer at OHSU, emphasized that PAC-MANN could be especially useful for people at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Unlike other tests that require large blood samples or complex procedures, this new test is designed to be simple, cost-effective, and easy to use in any medical setting.
How the Test Works
The researchers tested PAC-MANN on 350 blood samples from patients at OHSU’s Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care. Some patients had pancreatic cancer, while others were either at high risk or had non-cancerous pancreatic conditions. The test measured protease activity to determine whether a patient had cancer.
The results were impressive. PAC-MANN correctly identified pancreatic cancer in 98% of cases and was able to detect early-stage cancer with 85% accuracy when combined with the CA 19-9 test. These findings suggest that the new test could significantly improve early detection compared to existing methods.
Another promising discovery was that PAC-MANN could track how well treatments were working. In patients who underwent surgery, the researchers noticed a decrease in protease activity in their blood, suggesting the test could help doctors monitor whether treatments are effective.
“This test isn’t just about detection—it could also help us measure how well treatments are working and guide therapeutic options,” Fischer explained.
A Quick and Affordable Solution
One of the biggest advantages of PAC-MANN is its accessibility. The test requires only a tiny amount of blood—just 8 microliters—and delivers results in 45 minutes. The cost is extremely low, less than a penny per sample.
This makes it a practical option for hospitals and clinics, including those in rural or underserved areas where advanced medical tests are often unavailable.
Montoya highlighted the potential impact of this affordability. “This test could easily be used in places where traditional cancer tests are not available,” he said. “Because it’s simple and inexpensive, more people can be screened, increasing the chances of catching cancer early.”
What’s Next?
The researchers plan to conduct more studies, including clinical trials with high-risk patients, to confirm the accuracy and effectiveness of PAC-MANN. If further trials are successful, the test could become a valuable tool for detecting pancreatic cancer much earlier than current methods allow.
While more research is needed before the test becomes widely available, the findings are promising. Early detection is key to improving survival rates for pancreatic cancer, and PAC-MANN could be a major step forward in making that possible.
“Hopefully,” Fischer said, “this is one step toward ending cancer as we know it.”
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