Pancreatic Cancer Research 2017: Why Tumors Of The Pancreas Are So Aggressive And Deadly, According To Science

Part of what makes cancer so deadly is its ability to metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body. When it comes to spreading fast and far, pancreatic cancer tumors may take the prize. However, a new study more precisely shows what makes these tumors metastasize so rapidly — a discovery that may be key to stopping them.

In the study, now published online in Nature Cell Biology, researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in Germany found that pancreatic cancer cells are able to activate Zeb1, a compound that helps with embryonic development, but is normally dormant in fully developed cells. When this factor is re-activated in developed cells, as in the case with pancreatic tumor cells, it causes cells to spread throughout the body and helps them quickly adapt to new environments. As a result, pancreatic tumors are able to spread by forming new secondary tumors elsewhere, according to a recent statement.

Read: Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rates 2017: Early Diagnosis Of Deadly Cancer Now Possible With Blood Test

Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells begin to grow out of control in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is hard to find early because it presents with few symptoms until it travels to other parts of the body.

Theoretically, if Zeb1 is not activated, pancreatic tumor cells will not be able to adapt to new environments as easily. Though early in the research, the FAU team explained in the statement that they hope to use this finding to develop better treatments for preventing metastasis in both pancreatic, and other cancer types.

This finding adds to past research into how pancreatic cancer spreads. For example, in February, researchers at the University of Texas identified a protein that can stop pancreatic cancer cells from changing into a more aggressive cell type. Although the study concentrated on mouse models, the finding could lead to treatment options to prevent the cancer from becoming a more aggressive, and difficult to treat, version.

What’s more, research is also progressing in the field of early pancreatic cancer detection. A study published earlier this year in Nature Biomedical Engineering suggested that researchers may be able to catch the cancer sooner by detecting certain proteins given off by a tumor. While more research is needed before this becomes a diagnostic tool, the study describes how a blood test capable of searching for certain pancreatic cancer-specific proteins could be used to detect the cancer earlier.

See Also:

Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis 2017: 2 New Biomarkers Help Detect Deadly Cancer Earlier, More Accurately, Researchers Say

Pancreatic Cancer Cure Research: Scientists Identify Protein Linked To Aggressive Deadly Metastasis