Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common and aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. It begins in the cells of the pancreas that produce secretions and form tubes within the organ.
Unfortunately, this cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, with survival rates shockingly low. Only about 8% of people diagnosed live beyond five years.
However, a breakthrough by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute could change the outlook for this devastating disease.
The team, led by Axel Behrens, identified a protein called CD9 that plays a crucial role in the growth and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Their findings, published in Nature Cell Biology, open the door to potential new treatments.
The researchers focused on a group of cells within tumors called cancer stem cells. These cells are especially dangerous because, like normal stem cells, they can transform into different types of cells. But cancer stem cells go a step further, driving tumor growth and even creating new tumors.
By studying these cells closely, the team discovered that CD9, a protein on the surface of cancer stem cells, is present during all stages of tumor development. Unlike other proteins, CD9 actively influences the behavior of cancer cells, making it a key player in tumor growth.
To understand CD9’s role, the researchers conducted experiments on mice. They altered the levels of CD9 in tumor cells and observed the results.
Lowering CD9 levels made tumors smaller and less aggressive. On the other hand, increasing CD9 caused the tumors to grow faster and become more aggressive.
These findings were also reflected in patient data. People with higher levels of CD9 in their tumor cells had worse outcomes, with more aggressive cancer and lower survival rates.
About 10% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma had elevated CD9 levels, which could explain why their cancer was more severe.
This discovery suggests that CD9 could be a target for new treatments. The researchers propose that therapies aimed at CD9 might cut off the supply of vital nutrients, such as glutamine, to cancer stem cells.
Glutamine is an essential nutrient that cancer cells rely on to grow and multiply. By starving the cancer cells of glutamine, it might be possible to slow or even stop tumor growth.
While the research is still in its early stages, it offers hope for patients. The next steps include more studies to confirm these findings and develop therapies that target CD9.
If successful, these treatments could advance to clinical trials, providing a new approach to combat this deadly cancer.
This discovery is significant because it not only enhances our understanding of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma but also points to a promising new way to treat it. For patients and their families, this research offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against one of the deadliest cancers.
If you care about cancer risk, please read studies that exercise may stop cancer in its tracks, and vitamin D can cut cancer death risk.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies that yogurt and high-fiber diet may cut lung cancer risk, and results showing that new cancer treatment may reawaken the immune system.
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