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According to a study by Cedars-Sinai, a recently developed drug can prevent the most common type of pancreatic cancer from developing and spreading in laboratory mice.
The study, recently published in the journal Gastroenterology, also demonstrated in the mouse that the drug, called Metavert, could prevent patients from developing resistance to currently used pancreatic cancer chemotherapy.
"This is an exciting step towards improving survival rates in patients with pancreatic cancer," said Mouad Edderkaoui, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and science Biomedical at the Samuel Oschin Cancer Institute in Cedars-Sinai. "If the results are confirmed in humans, we could have a drug with the potential to significantly prolong the lives of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is very difficult to treat. "
According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. This year, approximately 55,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed and more than 44,000 will die, making it one of the most deadly cancers. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is 7%.
Ninety-five percent of patients with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed with PDAC, which develops from cells lining small tubes in the pancreas. PDAC can be difficult to treat because cancer cells cause normal cells that reside in the pancreas – called stellate cells – to produce pancreatic scar tissue. Scar tissue makes it difficult for chemotherapeutics and blood to enter the pancreas, according to lead author Stephen J. Pandol M.D., director of basic and translational pancreatic research at Cedars-Sinai.
The interaction between cancer cells and stellate cells also creates an environment that stimulates the growth of local tumors and the spread of cancer to distant sites of the body, said Pandol, a professor of medicine at Cedars-Sinai. In addition, the activity levels of certain enzymes increase, promoting resistance to cancer treatments.
"I've seen patients who were responding to treatment for a while, then the disease was taking off because the cancer was becoming smart – it's blocking the chemotherapy's operation," Pandol said. "Metavert targets this action."
Over a four-year period, researchers have designed and synthesized new chemicals that inhibit the activity of cancer cells. They discovered that Metavert was blocking drug resistance and significantly increasing the positive effects of radiation and two commonly used chemotherapeutic agents in humans. In one of the mouse studies, Metavert increased the survival rate by about 50%.
Investigators are currently developing a version of the drug to test in humans, said Pandol.
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Material provided by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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