Every 12 minutes, someone in the United States dies of pancreatic cancer, which is often diagnosed late, spreads rapidly and has a five – year survival rate of about 10 percent. Treatment can include radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, although the cancer is often drug-resistant.
Researchers at the University of California School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with the Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Columbia University, showed that new tumor tumor treatment, proven in animal models, could enhance the effects of chemotherapy , decreased metastasis and increased survival.
The study, published online March 9, 2021 in Nature Communication, showing how a tumor-targeting peptide, called an iRGD, can enter the arm that built the tumor to protect itself and use the fibrous material as a highway to reach more deep inside, destroying the tomb from the inside.
The large pancreatic gland is located at the back of the stomach. It makes enzymes that help with digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar levels. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a subtype of pancreatic cancer that is highly drug-resistant due, in part, to the shell-like outer hard layer around the eardrum.
This type of tumor is made up of a thick fiber material that is a barrier to drugs trying to get through. Many drugs can reach the vessels of the tumor, but they cannot get deep into the tissue, making treatment so effective, which is one reason why this type of cancer is so challenging to treat. “
Tatiana Hurtado de Mendoza, PhD, S.tudy F.irst Author and Project Scientist, UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center
“Our study found that the tumor-entering iRGD peptide is capable of using this fibrous network to deliver chemotherapy drugs deep into the eardrum and be more effective.”
The research team studied the microenvironment of PDAC tumors in a mouse model. They found that, after targeting the tumor blood vessels, iRGD binds to high levels of β5 integrin, a protein produced by cells called carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). ) removes much of the turf’s protective fibrous coating.
“We were able to closely reproduce human disease in our mouse model and found that when iRGD was introduced by chemotherapy in mice with high levels of β5 integrin, there was a significant increase in survival and a reduction in cancer spreads to other organs in the body compared to chemotherapy alone. This could be a powerful treatment strategy to target invasive pancreatic cancer, “said Andrew Lowy, MD, co-author of the study , a professor of surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and head of the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health.
“What is encouraging about this finding is that the iRGD therapy did not produce any additional side effects. This is extremely important when considering treatments for patients.”
The researchers said the next steps involve a national human clinical trial. They claim that the trial could begin in one year.
“The experience gained from our study has the potential to be directly applied in patient care. We also believe that the levels of β5 integrin within pancreatic cancer could tell us what -patients who would benefit most from iRGD-combination therapy, “Lowy said.
Source:
Health University of California San Diego
Magazine Reference:
of Mendoza, TH, et al. (2021) Tumor-penetrating therapy for complex β5 pancreatic cancer. Nature Communication. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21858-1.