New Experimental Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Shows Promise

In medical news that will bring hope to many, a team of scientists at the University of Minnesota has succeeded in using an experimental virus therapy to arrest the development of pancreatic cancer in three people in a small clinical trial in the US.

While further evaluation in larger trials are needed, these early results are exciting, especially as only small doses of the virus were given to the participants for initial safety testing. As Doctor Masato Yamamoto, professor of surgery and member of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, who led the development of the viral treatment at the university reminds us on the University of Minnesota’s Medical School website: “When we think about viruses, we think disease… . But by wisely using viruses, we can design therapies that target cancer cells.”

A Hard-To-Treat Disease
The Mayo Clinic details, the pancreas is an organ that lies behind the lower part of the stomach making enzymes that help digest food, and hormones that help control blood sugar. 

Cancer of the pancreas begins as a growth of cells in the pancreas, with the most common variant being “pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.” This type of pancreatic cancer starts in the cells that line the ducts carrying digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. 

Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is rarely discovered in its early stages, when the chances of curing it are at their highest. This is because those afflicted rarely show symptoms until after the cancer is at a more advanced stage, having spread to other organs. In addition, this cancer’s dense, fibrous tumors can limit the effectiveness of existing therapies, as the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center details in a news release.

These two reasons are probably why the American Cancer Society currently gives a disappointing five-year survival rate of just 13 percent for all types of pancreatic cancer.

Zooming in on the Experimental Treatment
The researchers have been conducting trials with a genetically engineered common cold virus that targets pancreatic tumors. They are optimistic, the New Scientist outlines, as these early-stage results caused three patients to experience completely halted tumor growth, while receiving just one-tenth of the targeted dose.

The research, led by Dr. Yamamoto, uses an oncolytic virus injected directly into the pancreas via an endoscopic ultrasound. As the National Cancer Institute of the US Government explains, oncolytic viruses infect and break down cancer cells, but not normal cells. These can occur naturally, or be created in the laboratory.

Once inside the organ, the virus multiplies, and destroys cancer cells, while sparing healthy tissue. It can even trigger the human body’s immune response targeting remaining malignant cells.

WTN News highlights the pioneering spirit and exciting results of this innovative pancreatic treatment. While researchers caution that larger clinical trials are needed to confirm the findings, the early success of this virus-based therapy has generated optimism among scientists and medics urgently seeking effective treatments for this deadly disease. 

Further, the trial’s promising results are seen as a step forward in the fight against pancreatic cancer, offering renewed hope for improved survival outcomes.