by Researchers at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have discovered that secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), a protein involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis, is heavily concentrated in pancreatic cancer. The study, published in Cancer Biomarkers, found that higher levels of SFRP2 are associated with worse outcomes for patients.
Dr. Nancy Klauber-DeMore, the lead researcher, originally studied SFRP2 in breast cancer and osteosarcoma. Her findings suggest that SFRP2 could be a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. By blocking SFRP2, it may be possible to affect tumor fibrosis, angiogenesis, and even kill tumor cells. Additionally, targeting SFRP2 could also impact the immune system and potentially be used in immunotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer is particularly challenging to treat because it is often diagnosed in advanced stages. The tumor grows within a dense connective tissue, known as the stroma, which hinders the delivery of chemotherapy and promotes tumor growth. Previous attempts to target the stroma have had mixed results, highlighting the need for further research on the tumor microenvironment.
Given SFRP2’s role in stroma production and its ability to inhibit immune cells, targeting this protein could have multiple effects on the tumor microenvironment. This discovery could potentially lead to new treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer, which is currently the third leading cause of cancer deaths and projected to become the second most common by 2030.
Dr. Klauber-DeMore’s interest in pancreatic cancer arose when she analyzed SFRP2 in the Cancer Genome Atlas, a comprehensive database of 33 cancers. Pancreatic cancer had the highest expression of SFRP2 among all the cancers studied, prompting further investigation.
The researchers also found that SFRP2 expression is closely linked to the KRAS gene, a key driver of pancreatic cancer. Silencing the KRAS gene significantly reduced SFRP2 expression, indicating that KRAS plays a role in upregulating SFRP2 in pancreatic cancer.
Further research is needed to fully understand the complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment and how targeting SFRP2 can improve treatment outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. However, these findings provide promising insights into potential therapeutic strategies for this challenging disease.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
