Spanish researchers discover a new way to stop pancreatic cancer metastasis.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat tumors, with a high mortality rate and a diagnosis that, in most cases, arrives at very advanced stages. In this context, researchers from the Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) have discovered a new pathway that could slow the progression of this type of cancer and its ability to metastasize, opening up new therapeutic possibilities for patients.

An important discovery that has just been published in the renowned journal Cancer Research (a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, AACR) and that has had the support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer , in collaboration with WorldWide Cancer Research.

Inhibit the adaptation of tumor cells

The study, led by Patricia Sancho and with Beatriz Parejo Alonso as first author, has identified the key role of the PPAR-delta protein as a metabolic sensor that allows tumor cells to adapt to the lack of oxygen and nutrients , common conditions in the tumor environment. This protein activates a program that reconfigures cellular metabolism and promotes more invasive and metastatic behavior.

"What we've seen is that PPAR-delta allows tumor cells to change their metabolism to survive in very unfavorable environments. This makes them more aggressive and favors their spread," explained Patricia Sancho, a researcher in the "Metabolism and Tumor Stem Cells" group at the IIS Aragón.

"The most significant aspect is that by blocking this protein, we were able to reduce this invasive capacity and halt the formation of metastases. This is a very promising finding that opens the door to possible future therapies targeting this pathway."

The results of this study demonstrate that inhibiting PPAR-delta in animal models reverses this adaptation, reduces the invasiveness of tumor cells, and blocks the development of metastasis. The research thus establishes PPAR-delta as a highly interesting therapeutic target for combating the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer.

Furthermore, this study was carried out in collaboration with research centers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, China, and Australia.