For the first time, Spanish researchers have eliminated pancreatic cancer in mice using an innovative therapy. This breakthrough, achieved by female scientists at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), represents the first complete cure in experimental models of this aggressive disease.
The protagonists of the discovery
The first authors of the study are Vasiliki Liaki and Sara Barrambana, who designed the therapy alongside Carmen Guerra, co-lead author. Their work, published in the prestigious journal PNAS, details how this approach eradicates pancreatic tumors in animals, a crucial step against pancreatic cancer, which is diagnosed in more than 500,000 people globally each year according to the WHO.
Context of pancreatic cancer and its lethality
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10% in advanced stages, according to data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Historically, treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery fail in most cases due to late detection and resistance. This CNIO study targets specific mutations in the KRAS gene, which is common in 90% of pancreatic tumors.
Implications for future treatments
Experts such as the Spanish oncologist Javier Tabernero, from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, point out that this achievement could translate into human therapies in about five years, combining genetic inhibitors with immunotherapy. In the Dominican Republic, where pancreatic cancer causes about 300 deaths annually according to the Ministry of Public Health, this breakthrough generates optimism.
- First complete cure in mice with pancreatic cancer.
- Focus on KRAS mutations, key in 90% of cases.
- Publication in PNAS validates scientific rigor.
The CNIO team plans additional preclinical trials. This milestone not only validates years of research, but also illustrates the potential of precision medicine against pancreatic cancer.
In the global landscape, where pancreatic cancer remains a challenge, the work of Liaki, Barrambana, and Guerra sets a precedent. For patients and families in the Dominican Republic and around the world, it represents tangible hope in the fight against this devastating disease.
