Scientists Slow Pancreatic Cancer Growth
Posted on: Monday, 17 May 2004, 06:00 CDT
Researchers in New Hampshire have demonstrated success in slowing tumor development in pancreatic cancer cases.
Dartmouth University scientists focused on the over-expression of a molecule that hampers chemotherapeutic efforts in pancreatic cancer, said a statement released by the school Monday.
The molecule, VEGF, is responsible for angiogenesis, a process that stimulates blood vessel formation. In pancreatic cancer cells, there is a 90-fold higher level of VEGF than in normal cells, which enables the cancer cells to grow and metastasize quickly and efficiently.
Researchers injected a protein sponge known as VEGF-trap into mice bearing pancreatic tumors derived from four different human pancreatic cancer cells.
The sponge was found to absorb much of the angiogenetic VEGF molecules, thereby slowing the blood vessel proliferation and suppressing tumor growth.
Pancreatic cancer is notorious for its ability to spread quickly and fatally, while becoming increasingly resistant to traditional chemotherapy.
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