Scientists have made an important discovery about DNA that could provide more information about one of the deadliest types of cancer.
The Guardian reported on July 15 that a team of researchers from the UK and the US has found that pancreatic cancer can deactivate molecules in a crucial gene of the body, allowing the disease to develop rapidly.
The newspaper noted that pancreatic cancer is the 12th most common cancer worldwide, with over half a million people diagnosed each year. This type of cancer has the lowest survival rate among common cancers.
New research provides insight into how pancreatic cancer develops in the body. (Photo: SCREENSHOT GOOD NEWS NETWORK).
The lethal nature of this disease has been a longstanding challenge for science. However, with the recent study published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances, scientists analyzed samples of healthy tissue compared to those affected by pancreatic cancer. They discovered that pancreatic cancer activates a process known as DNA methylation, which turns off beneficial gene molecules, specifically HNF4A, leading to rapid tumor growth.
The HNF4A gene plays a crucial role in human health as it helps many organs function normally. Meanwhile, the new research indicates that pancreatic cancer can secretly deactivate this gene.
Dr. Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, the organization funding the study, stated that most cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed at late stages, with 80% of cases not detected until the disease has metastasized and is no longer operable.
This reality also explains the low survival rates for patients, as more than half of those diagnosed die within three months, Dr. Macdonald noted.
“This study provides us with new information on how pancreatic cancer may suppress certain molecules to help it spread aggressively throughout the body, which could lead to the development of more effective treatment methods in the future,” he commented.
