Ua hope that comes from laboratories, not yet from hospitals. News comes from Spain that has attracted the attention of the international scientific community: in animal models it has been possible to eliminate the cells of one of the most aggressive and widespread tumors, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), thanks to a combination of three drugs. The results were presented by the biochemist and oncologist Mariano Barbaciddirector of the Experimental Oncology group of Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas. The study, published on PNASshows one complete tumor regression in mice for over 200 days, without significant side effects. A fact never observed before in this type of neoplasm.
A complete answer, but only in animal models
«For the first time we have obtained a complete, durable and low-toxicity response against pancreatic cancer in experimental models», Barbacid explained during the press conference. A result which, although it cannot be immediately translated into a cure for humans, marks an important change of pace.
Pancreatic cancer is known for its aggressiveness and the limited effectiveness of available therapies. Even targeted drugs introduced in recent years, in particular those against the KRAS gene, show limited benefits over time: the tumor often becomes resistant after a few months.
The key: hit multiple targets at once
The strategy adopted by the Spanish team was that of combined therapy. THE three drugs used act on different but complementary mechanisms:
two block EGFR and STAT3, proteins essential for the growth of tumor cells;
the third inhibits KRAS, the oncogene mutated in approximately 90% of pancreatic cancer patients.
It is precisely the combination that makes the difference, preventing the tumor from “escaping” and rapidly developing resistance. According to the researchers, this could be the right direction to change the course of a disease which, for decades, has left little room for intervention.
Enthusiasm yes, illusions no
Despite the exceptional nature of the data, the authors themselves urge caution. “We are not yet able to start human clinical trials with this triple therapy,” Barbacid clarified. Further preclinical studies and long periods of time will be needed before understanding whether the result can also be replicated in patients.
It’s good news, but not a cure. At least for now.
Who is Mariano Barbacid
Born in 1949, from Madrid, Mariano Barbacid is one of the most authoritative names in international oncology research. Graduated in Chemistry from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, he completed his training in the United States, where he worked for a long time at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and directed the National Cancer Institute of Maryland.
In 1982 his group isolated the first human oncogene and identified the first mutation directly associated with the development of a tumor in humans. He was also responsible for the isolation of the TRK oncogene from a colon carcinoma, a discovery that marked the history of molecular biology.
In 1998 he returned to Spain to found and direct the CNIO, transforming it in less than ten years into one of the main cancer research centers in the world.
Awards, numbers and recognitions
Barbacid’s career is dotted with international awards: from the Distinguished Young Scientist Award to the King Juan Carlos I Science Award, up to the Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Award. He is one of the few European scientists to have received two Advanced Grants from the European Research Council and, in 2020, he was awarded the Echegaray Medal, the highest scientific award awarded in Spain.
To date he is the author of over 300 scientific publications. A path that helps to understand why the news arriving from his laboratory is received with attention and respect. Even if, as science teaches, time remains the only true judge.
