New strategy for treating pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis and limited treatment options and highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The scientists from the University of Manchester and Manchester Cancer Research Centre have discovered a new way to make chemotherapy treatment more effective for pancreatic cancer patients. They believe that the new strategy is effective in killing only the pancreatic cancer while sparing healthy cells, thus making the treatment more effective.

According to Jason Bruce, from the Physiological Systems and Disease Research Group, who led the research team stated that “Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers. Most of the patients develop symptoms after the tumor has spread to other organs. Most importantly, the pancreatic cancer is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A new approach to treatment is urgently required. We wanted to understand how the switch in energy supply in cancer cells might help them to survive.”

The research found pancreatic cancer cells may have their own specialized energy supply that maintains calcium levels and keeps cancer cells alive. A low concentration of calcium within the cells is vital to their survival and this is achieved by calcium pumps on the plasma membrane.

As reported in Science Daily and published in “The Journal of Biological Chemistry”