Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dangerous forms of cancer in the world. It is known for being difficult to detect, spreading quickly, and resisting many treatments.
Because the disease often develops silently, many people do not know they have it until the cancer has already grown or spread to other organs. This makes treatment much harder and is one reason the survival rate is so low.
One of the most common and aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer is called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, often shortened to PDAC. Doctors say this type of cancer accounts for most pancreatic cancer cases.
Unfortunately, the outlook for patients is still very poor. On average, only about 8 out of every 100 people diagnosed with PDAC live longer than five years. Scientists around the world are working hard to understand this disease better so they can find new ways to treat it.
Now researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London have made an important discovery that may help explain why pancreatic cancer grows so aggressively. The study was led by Dr. Axel Behrens and was published in the scientific journal Nature Cell Biology.
The research team focused on a special group of cells inside tumors known as cancer stem cells. These cells behave in a similar way to normal stem cells in healthy organs. In healthy tissues, stem cells play a useful role because they help repair damage and replace old or injured cells. However, when stem cells exist inside a tumor, they can become very dangerous.
Cancer stem cells can produce many new cancer cells. They help tumors grow larger and allow the cancer to spread to other parts of the body. These cells are also believed to be one of the main reasons cancer sometimes returns after treatment. Even when most of the tumor is destroyed, a small number of these powerful cells may survive and start growing again.
The scientists wanted to understand what makes these cancer stem cells so active and dangerous. To do this, they studied which genes were switched on inside the cells. By examining the genetic activity of these cells, the team discovered something important. They found a protein called CD9 sitting on the surface of the cancer stem cells.
Proteins on the surface of cells often act like signals or markers that help scientists identify certain cell types. The researchers noticed that CD9 appeared on cancer stem cells in both early-stage and advanced pancreatic tumors. This finding suggests that CD9 could be used as a marker to help identify the most dangerous cancer cells, possibly even early in the disease.
However, the team soon realized that CD9 was doing more than simply marking the cells. It was also helping the cancer grow stronger.
To test this idea, the researchers carried out experiments using mice with pancreatic cancer. When they reduced the amount of CD9 in the cancer cells, the tumors grew much more slowly. In contrast, when they increased the level of CD9, the tumors grew faster and became more aggressive. These experiments showed clearly that CD9 plays a key role in helping pancreatic cancer develop and spread.
The team then studied tumor samples and medical data from real patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. They found that about 10 percent of patients had very high levels of CD9 in their tumors. These patients generally had worse outcomes, meaning their cancer was more aggressive and more difficult to treat.
The next question the scientists asked was why CD9 had such a strong effect on the cancer. To answer this, they examined how the cancer cells obtained nutrients. Like all living cells, cancer cells need fuel to grow and divide.
The researchers discovered that CD9 helps cancer stem cells absorb more of a nutrient called glutamine. Glutamine is an important building block that cells use for energy and growth. By taking in more glutamine, the cancer stem cells receive extra fuel that allows them to multiply faster and spread more easily.
This discovery may point to a new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer. If scientists can develop drugs that block the CD9 protein, they may be able to cut off the cancer cells’ access to glutamine. Without enough fuel, the cancer cells may slow down or stop growing.
Although this research is still at an early stage, it offers an important clue about how pancreatic cancer works. Every new discovery helps scientists move closer to better treatments and possibly better survival rates for patients.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the toughest diseases doctors face, but studies like this show that progress is being made. By understanding the hidden mechanisms that allow cancer cells to survive and grow, researchers hope to develop smarter therapies that target the disease at its roots.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
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