Brain proteins play an important role in the development and growth of pancreatic cancer

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.November 18, 2020

The researchers found that a protein thought to be involved only in the development of neurons in the brain also plays an important role in the development and growth of pancreatic cancer. Their results show for the first time how the protein, called Netrin-G1, helps pancreatic cancer cells survive by protecting them from the immune system and providing them with nutrients.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat because the tumors are often fibrotic, which means they develop extra connective tissue throughout the pancreas. This connective tissue helps pancreatic cancer grow and provides a physical and biochemical protective barrier against drugs and the immune system. This protective barrier is made up of a type of cell called cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF), which interacts with cancer cells to help them grow and survive.

Dr Edna Cukierman, associate professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and co-director of the Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, who led the study, said, “Using a system we developed to study CAFs in a fibrous environment that mimics the way they would behave inside the pancreas, we identified Netrin-G1 as highly expressed in CAFs and found that it supports the survival of pancreatic cancer cells. We found that Netrin-G1 enables CAFs. to provide cancer cells with nourishment and secreting factors that inhibit the function of antitumor immune cells. “

The study, published in Discovery of cancer and partly funded by the British charity Worldwide Cancer Research, it also found that an antibody that neutralizes Netrin-G1 was able to stop the development of pancreatic cancer progression in mice, demonstrating the potential of developing new treatments for pancreatic cancer that target Netrin-G1.

We have seen that many patients express Netrin-G1 in CAFs and these patients tend to survive for a shorter time, so Netrin-G1 detection could be used to diagnose patients in the future. We believe that the limitation of Netrin-G1 function provides the starting point for designing new treatments in a type of cancer that is in dire need of effective therapies.

We then plan to continue studying the biology underlying Netrin-G1 expression in CAFs, find a practical way to detect it in patients, and collaborate with industry to design Netrin-G1 blocking drugs. In this way we hope that the targeting of Netrin-G1 will one day serve to cure pancreatic cancer patients. “

Dr Edna Cukierman, Associate Professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and Co-Director of the Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute

In the UK, over 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and over 9,000 people lose their lives from the disease. Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer with only about 1 in 20 people surviving for 10 years or more after diagnosis. Only 1 in 4 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK will survive beyond a year.

Dr Helen Rippon, CEO of Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “This is a fascinating new discovery in cancer research that shows for the first time how a molecule thought to be involved in the brain is also able to help. tumors to grow in organs elsewhere in the body. We are pleased to see such great progress from Dr. Cukierman’s project that it offers a starting point for the future development of treatments against a particularly deadly type of cancer. These positive results come in a moment. darkness for us all and are a stark reminder of how dedicated our researchers are – working tirelessly towards new cancer treatments even in the midst of a global pandemic. I’m sure this news will be welcomed by all of us who have had to experience the loss of a loved one due to cancer “.

Adam Coulson, husband and father from East Lothian, Scotland, who lost both parents to cancer, said, “My family and I have been thrilled to learn this breakthrough thanks to research funded by Worldwide Cancer Research. . In November 2006 we lost my father he had pancreatic cancer. I was only 22, dad – only 54. When dad died, mom became two parents in one. It was really the glue that held us together. Losing dad is. It was heartbreaking, but having mom there kept everyone going – and all together.So, when mom told us she had bowel cancer, our worlds collapsed.

“Cancer has had a devastating effect on our lives. I think almost all of my family and friends have been affected in one way or another. That’s why we support global cancer research. It was too late to save my mother and mine. father, but hopefully one day we can stop the suffering caused by cancer. And this breakthrough is bringing us closer to that day. “