Key Takeaways
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Researchers believe they have discovered a way to enhance the treatment of pancreatic cancer
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Pancreatic cancer’s resistance to chemotherapy is due to the stiffness of the tissue surrounding tumor cells
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Softening the tissue can facilitate the penetration of chemo drugs to kill cancer cells
MONDAY, July 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Pancreatic cancer is known for its aggressive nature and challenging treatment, particularly its resistance to chemotherapy.
A recent study sheds light on why chemotherapy struggles against pancreatic cancer and provides insights on how to overcome this resistance.
Researchers discovered that the physical rigidity of the tissue surrounding cancer cells reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy, as reported in the journal Nature Materials on July 4.
According to senior researcher Sarah Heilshorn, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, “Stiffer tissue can cause pancreatic cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy, while softer tissue can enhance the responsiveness to chemotherapy.”
Through their investigation on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common form of pancreatic cancer, the researchers found that the stiffening of tissue hinders the delivery of chemotherapy to cancer cells.
The study involved creating tissue samples that mimic pancreatic tumors and healthy pancreatic tissues, which led to the discovery that stiffer tissue and high levels of hyaluronic acid contribute to the resistance of pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy.
Blocking the CD44 receptor, through which hyaluronic acid interacts with cellular tissue, can soften the tissue and increase its responsiveness to chemotherapy, potentially making pancreatic cancer treatable with standard chemotherapy.
The research team is continuing to explore the CD44 receptor and its impact on cancer cells, as well as refining their cell culture model to predict the effectiveness of different cancer therapies in individual patients.
More information
For more information on pancreatic cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
SOURCE: Stanford University, news release, July 4, 2024
What This Means For You
Future therapies could help pancreatic cancer become more responsive to chemotherapy, increasing survival odds for cancer patients.
