JEM: New drug helps treat breast and pancreatic cancer

10, 2021 /--- According to a study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology., Georgia State University biology professor Zhiren Liu and his team developed ProAgio to effectively treat pancreatic cancer and prolong the survival of mice.
second study, published in journal of The Journal of Medicine, showed that the drug could also be effective in treating triple-negative breast cancer, a rapidly developing and difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer with poor prognosmation.
(Photo Source: Www.pixabay.com) ProAgio's proAgio-targeted cell surface-like protein alpha V beta alpha, which is expressed on cancer-related fibroblasts.
fibroblasts are cells that produce collagen and other fibrous molecules that can be mobilized by tumors to form a thick physical barrier that protects cancer and helps it grow.
the drug induces apoptosis or programmed cell death by inducing the expression of cancer-related fibroblasts of the whole protein alpha V beta1.
dense fibrosis substate is the cause of pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of only 8%, making it lethal and difficult to treat.
in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, studies have shown that denser substrings are associated with poor survival and higher recurrence rates.
Liu said: "All solid tumors have cancer-related fibroblasts, but in pancreatic and triple-negative breast cancers, the substate is so dense that there is usually no way for conventional drugs to penetrate it and treat cancer effectively."
" substring can also help tumors hide from the body's immune system.
immunotherapy is a treatment that uses the immune system to fight cancer and is less effective against tumors protected by dense substrings rich in cancer-related fibroblasts.
cancer-related fibroblasts promote angiogenesic or new blood vessels.
angiogenesy plays an important role in the spread of cancer, as solid tumors require a blood supply to grow.
both studies, Liu and his team showed that roAgio has far-reaching effects on tumor vein systems.
in the case of pancreatic cancer, it reopens blood vessels that collapse due to high extravascular pressure caused by the dense substate.
in the case of triple-negative breast cancer, the drug's anti-angiogenesic activity reduces irregular, leaking angiogenesic tumor blood vessels.
both cases, ProAgio allows the drug to reach the cancer site effectively.
Liu's drug is unique in that it targets only cancer-related fibroblasts (cell subses actively involved in supporting cancer) and not inactive fibroblasts.
this reduces side effects of the drug and improves its effectiveness.
Liu said the next step is to start clinical trials as soon as you get AND approval.
(Bioon.com) Source: Drug is prody against pancreatic and breast cancers Original source: Malvika Sharma et al, Simultaneous targeting-cancer-associated fibroblasts and angiogenic vessel as a treatment for TNBC, J Exp Med DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200712