A key gene that plays a vital role in the proper functioning of many organs could be the answer to controlling one of the deadliest cancers known, according to new research. Scientists have unearthed that pancreatic cancer can deactivate specific molecules within the HNF4A gene, aiding its rapid spread and aggressive growth.
The breakthrough offers renewed optimism in the ongoing battle to develop more potent treatments against a disease that claims the lives of nearly 9,000 Brits annually and is notorious for its grim survival statistics, the team reported. Dr Maria Hatziapostolou, from Nottingham Trent University’s John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, highlighted the gravity of the situation: “Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival of all the 20 common cancers.”
She emphasised the urgency for advancements, stating, “The survival of patients beyond five years has improved very little for some time and so it’s extremely important that we find new ways to better understand this disease, how it spreads and why it is so aggressive. This work, which has provided new understanding and knowledge of how the cancer behaves, will hopefully help pave the way for potential new treatments in the future.”
With over 10,400 new pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed in the UK each year and a mere 10% chance of surviving past five years, the stakes are high. The cancer is frequently caught at a late stage, severely limiting treatment options and leading to more than half of those affected passing away within three months of their diagnosis.
The illness has notoriously claimed the lives of renowned figures such as Alan Rickman, Sir John Hurt, Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze. The research, published in Gastro Hep Advances journal, involved an analysis of pancreatic cancer tissue samples along with healthy ones, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
It was discovered that pancreatic cancers instigate a process known as DNA methylation, causing advantageous HNF4A molecules to switch off, thereby enabling tumours to grow at an accelerated pace. Dr Hatziapostolou revealed: “Loss of HNF4A drives pancreatic cancer development and aggressiveness and we now know correlates with poor patient survival.”
Dr Chris Macdonald, Head of Research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, which financially backed the study, stated: “We desperately need kinder and more effective treatment options for pancreatic cancer. The majority of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at a late stage, with 80% not being detected until after the disease has spread and is no longer operable.”
“These circumstances mirror its abysmal survival rate over half of people with the disease succumb within three months of diagnosis. Advancing our core understanding of what propels the rapid growth and spread of pancreatic cancer is critical if we want to realise much-needed breakthroughs.”
He added: “This project gives us new information on how pancreatic cancer is able to suppress certain molecules to help it spread aggressively around the body which, in turn, could lead to the development of more effective treatment options in the future.”
Scientists from the University of Nottingham, Stanford University and the University of California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, also contributed to the project.