It is said to work against pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat due to its aggressive nature and often resistance to chemotherapy. Recent research has identified a key reason behind this resistance: the physical stiffness of the tissue surrounding pancreatic cancer cells. Published in Nature Materials, the study led by Sarah Heilshorn from Stanford University highlights how stiffer tissue impedes the effectiveness of chemotherapy, while softer tissue enhances responsiveness.
The focus was on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which constitutes the majority of pancreatic cancer cases. In these cancers, the surrounding tissue becomes rigid, acting as a barrier that limits chemotherapy drugs’ ability to reach cancerous cells. To investigate, researchers engineered lab models mimicking the properties of both cancerous and healthy pancreatic tissues, using these to culture cells from pancreatic cancer patients.
Their findings identified two critical factors contributing to chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer: tissue stiffness and high levels of hyaluronic acid, which stiffens tissue further. Hyaluronic acid interacts with cancer cells via a receptor called CD44, which transmits signals of stiffness to the cells. Blocking the CD44 receptor softened the tissue environment in their experiments, restoring sensitivity to chemotherapy.
Sarah Heilshorn emphasized the implications for drug development, suggesting that targeting the stiffness signaling mediated by CD44 could potentially overcome chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. This approach offers a new direction in addressing a significant clinical challenge, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of current chemotherapy treatments.
The research team continues to investigate the CD44 receptor and its downstream effects on cancer cells, alongside refining their tissue models to better predict treatment responses in individual patients. They underscored the importance of considering the tissue microenvironment when designing cancer therapies, aiming to tailor treatments based on these environmental factors to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.
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