Italian Scientist’s International Study Reveals Pancreatic Cancer Survival Mechanism
Carlo Maria Croce, the most cited Italian scientist in the world, has led an international study that has revealed the survival and growth mechanism of pancreatic cancer. The study, published in ‘Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy’, opens the way to new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this aggressive and often resistant cancer.
The research, a collaboration between various centers in Italy and led by Carlo Maria Croce at the Ohio State University in the USA, has shed light on how pancreatic cancer cells maintain a high proliferation rate in nutrient deficiency. The study found that the lack of expression of a small non-coding RNA molecule, called miR-15a, plays a crucial role in the cancer cells’ ability to survive and grow in stressful conditions.
According to the study’s authors, the absence of miR-15a allows tumor cells stressed by nutrient deficiency to express the transcription factor Fra-2, which in turn activates the transcription of genes fundamental for their survival. Among the target genes of Fra-2 is the receptor for Igf1 (Igf1-receptor), responsible for the proliferative stimulus.
Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra, the first author of the study and a researcher at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at Sapienza University of Rome, stated, “The discovery of this mechanism increases our understanding of the disease and provides a useful rationale for setting up therapies.” The study also found that pancreatic cancer in nutrient deficiency becomes dependent on the activation of the Igf1-receptor, making it extremely sensitive to its pharmacological inhibition, offering an effective weapon to counteract tumor growth.
The revelations of this study provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of pancreatic cancer and offer promising new avenues for the development of targeted therapies. The collaborative effort of international experts and Italian research institutions has paved the way for potential breakthroughs in the treatment of this challenging and often deadly disease.