Study Finds Molecule That Inhibits Metastasis Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

It is not an easy task to treat pancreatic cancer as the overall outcome of this condition is not optimistic in most cases. At most, the existing modes of treatment can prolong the lifespan of the patient, and there is no way to cure this condition. However, things may change shortly as scientists uncover a new molecule that can potentially kill pancreatic cancer cells in the body. In this way, new drugs can be developed to treat pancreatic cancer in the future.

Study Finds Molecule That Inhibits Metastasis Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

The MMRi62 molecule was found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the body, and this can also prevent metastasis, according to researchers. The molecule causes the degradation of FTH1 protein, which can kill the pancreatic cancer cells. It is interesting to note that PDAC cells are predisposed to ferroptosis, and the free cellular iron triggers cell death. The study focused on agents that would activate ferroptosis in order to kill the cancer cells in the body.

The mutation of KRAS and TP53 genes often lead to PDAC, which has remained incurable to date. It is the leading cause of nearly 90% of all pancreatic cancer cases globally. In this condition, the tumors become resistant to chemotherapy, and the outcome is not positive in most cases. The five-year survival rate for this type of cancer is just over 12%, and this shows how deadly cancer can be for patients.

Researchers say that the MMRi62 molecule can be beneficial to treat pancreatic cancer patients, and this reduces the further growth of cancer cells in the body. Not only that, but it was also able to kill the existing pancreatic cancer cells, and this offers some hope in the treatment of cancer in the long run. As of now, there is no treatment available to cure this condition completely.

However, ferroptosis-inducing agents are not currently available, and new drugs have to be developed to use this molecule to treat pancreatic cancer patients. Further research is needed in this direction to develop better drugs that can control the growth of cancer cells in the body. In this way, the overall lifespan of the patient can be increased by some margin. The metastasis kills more people than the actual tumor, and it becomes inevitable in the case of pancreatic cancer as the disease cannot be handled with chemotherapy in most cases.

Due to this limitation, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is very less, and most people survive for a few months or years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As the treatment options are limited, patients often suffer from various health complications during the process. The detection of pancreatic cancer is also not an easy task, and most people come for diagnosis at later stages. This makes it even more difficult for doctors to handle the condition. Many patients do not even opt for medication as there is less chance of survival even after painful chemotherapy and other medicines.

The discovery of a new molecule that kills pancreatic cancer cells offers some hope for several patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. By inducing ferroptosis, it becomes possible to kill the pancreatic cancer cells naturally without causing harm to other organs in the body. However, further clinical trials are needed in this direction to determine the efficiency of this method to treat pancreatic cancer patients. If the molecule can be used in existing drugs, it can improve the overall efficiency of the treatment. Apart from that, new drugs can be developed with further clinical trials in order to treat pancreatic cancer patients.