Pancreatic Cancer Progress: First Step Taken
- researchers have made a preliminary but promising step toward slowing the progression of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.
- The research team, led by David Tuveson at Cold Spring harbor Laboratory, characterized their work as "a race against time." Claudia Tonelli, who earned a doctorate in...
- According to the study,early diagnosis and a readily available drug are key to the progress.
Pancreatic Cancer Growth Slowed in Lab Studies, Offering Hope for New Treatments
Table of Contents
- Pancreatic Cancer Growth Slowed in Lab Studies, Offering Hope for New Treatments
- Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough: Q&A on New Treatment Hope
- What’s the Exciting news about Pancreatic Cancer Treatment?
- What Makes Pancreatic Cancer So Difficult to Treat?
- What Did the Researchers Discover?
- How Did they Study the Role of FGFR2?
- Can Existing drugs Be Used to Fight Pancreatic Cancer?
- Were the Results Promising When Combining Drugs?
- What Do the Researchers Say About These Findings?
- Who Might Benefit From These Potential Treatments?
- Where Was This Research Published?
- Where Can I Find More Information?

researchers have made a preliminary but promising step toward slowing the progression of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. While the findings, published in “Cancer Research,” are based on laboratory experiments involving mice and cell aggregates, they offer a potential new avenue for treatment.
The research team, led by David Tuveson at Cold Spring harbor Laboratory, characterized their work as “a race against time.” Claudia Tonelli, who earned a doctorate in molecular medicine at the European Institute of Oncology in milan, is the lead author of the study.
According to the study,early diagnosis and a readily available drug are key to the progress.
Finding of FGFR2 Gene’s Role
The breakthrough hinges on the discovery of a gene, FGFR2, that amplifies the effects of the kras gene, a known oncogene present in over 95% of pancreatic tumors.”Over 95% of pancreatic tumors have mutations in the Kras gene, which is oncogene from the origin of this disease.Now I discovered that another gene, called FGFR2, plays a role in amplifying the action of the Kras gene.when this happens, the pancreatic cancer becomes more aggressive,” saeid Tanelli.
Experiments conducted on mice and pancreatic tissue models (organoids) cultivated from stem cells revealed the gene’s role in accelerating tumor growth. The Tuveson-led center pioneered the development of these tumor models, enabling in-depth study of the disease and drug testing.
Existing drugs Show Promise
The researchers explored the potential of existing drugs that target the FGFR2 gene in other cancers. Tonelli and her colleagues tested one of these drugs on both animal models and pancreatic cancer organoids. They were able to identify the optimal timing for drug management to effectively slow tumor formation.
even more encouraging results were observed when drugs targeting the EGFR protein, known to be overactive in pancreatic cancer, were combined with those targeting the FGFR2 gene. This combination led to disease blockage in many of the models.
“With an increasing number of FGFR2 inhibitors entering the clinic, our study lays the base to explore their use in combination with EGFR inhibitors to intercept pancreatic cancer,”
Claudia Tonelli, “Cancer Research”
Tonelli suggests that patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer would likely be prime candidates for future studies based on this research.
The research was published on April 3rd.
Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough: Q&A on New Treatment Hope

Recent research offers a glimmer of hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer, a disease renowned for its aggressive nature.This Q&A delves into the findings, exploring the potential of new treatments.
What’s the Exciting news about Pancreatic Cancer Treatment?
Researchers have made a promising step towards slowing the progression of pancreatic cancer in lab studies. These findings, published in “Cancer Research,” offer a potential new avenue for treatment, although the research is still in its early stages. The research team, led by David Tuveson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, described their work as “a race against time.”
What Makes Pancreatic Cancer So Difficult to Treat?
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Early diagnosis is key according to the studies, but it is difficult to catch in its early stages. The majority of pancreatic tumors have mutations in the Kras gene, an oncogene which is the origin of this disease, making treatment challenging.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The breakthrough focuses on the discovery of the FGFR2 gene, which amplifies the effects of the *kras* gene, a known oncogene present in over 95% of pancreatic tumors.Claudia Tonelli, the lead author, explained, “Now I discovered that another gene, called FGFR2, plays a role in amplifying the action of the Kras gene.When this happens, the pancreatic cancer becomes more aggressive.”
How Did they Study the Role of FGFR2?
Experiments were conducted on mice and pancreatic tissue models (organoids) cultivated from stem cells. These models allowed researchers to study the gene’s role in accelerating tumor growth and test potential treatments. The Tuveson-led center pioneered the progress of these tumor models,enabling in-depth study of the disease and drug testing.
Can Existing drugs Be Used to Fight Pancreatic Cancer?
The researchers explored using existing drugs that target the FGFR2 gene, which are used in other cancers. Claudia Tonelli and her colleagues tested one of these drugs on animal models and pancreatic cancer organoids. They were able to identify the optimal timing for drug management to effectively slow tumor formation.
Were the Results Promising When Combining Drugs?
Encouraging results were observed when drugs targeting the EGFR protein, which is overactive in pancreatic cancer, were combined with those targeting the FGFR2 gene. This combination led to disease blockage in many of the models.
What Do the Researchers Say About These Findings?
Claudia Tonelli,in “Cancer Research”,stated: “With an increasing number of FGFR2 inhibitors entering the clinic,our study lays the base to explore their use in combination with EGFR inhibitors to intercept pancreatic cancer.”
Who Might Benefit From These Potential Treatments?
Tonelli suggests that patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer would likely be prime candidates for future studies.
Where Was This Research Published?
The research was published in “Cancer research” on April 3rd.
Where Can I Find More Information?
This information is derived from research published on April 3rd and reported by Rador Radio Romania.
