Pancreatic cancer is projected to become the second deadliest cancer by 2030, with most cases diagnosed too late for effective treatment. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have now identified a potential way to intercept the disease before it becomes aggressive, according to a CSHL statement.
CSHL Professor and Cancer Center Director David Tuveson offers a stark comparison: "We all have moles on our skin. Most of your moles are fine. But some of your moles you have a dermatologist looking at to make sure it's always fine. They may take it out and send it to the pathologist to ask, 'Is this an early melanoma, a melanoma in situ?' Now, that's just what you can see. Imagine that in your pancreas—because that's the reality. We all have early versions of cancer in many tissues at all times."
Now, Tuveson and Research Investigator Claudia Tonelli have discovered a way to treat these "early versions" of pancreatic cancer before they become dangerous. Their research reveals that the gene FGFR2 plays a crucial role in amplifying the effects of KRAS mutations, which drive over 95% of pancreatic cancer cases.
"It's the driving oncogene in this disease," Tonelli explains. "We discovered that another gene, FGFR2, plays a role in enhancing mutant KRAS signaling in pancreatic cancer. When that happens, those 'early versions' of pancreatic cancer become much more aggressive."
Using mice and organoids—lab-grown human pancreatic tissue—the researchers tested ways to slow or prevent cancerous growth. Blocking FGFR2 at a precise moment significantly slowed tumor formation. When they combined FGFR2 inhibitors with EGFR inhibitors, the results were even more promising.
"With an increasing number of FGFR2 inhibitors entering the clinic, our study lays the foundation to explore their use in combination with EGFR inhibitors for pancreatic cancer interception," says Tonelli.
Patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer could be among the first to benefit from this discovery, potentially allowing doctors to intervene before the disease takes hold.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
