Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly malignancies, with nearly 52,000 deaths expected this year. With limited therapeutic advances made in recent years, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer doesn’t even reach 15%, and only about 3% of patients diagnosed with distant disease survive five years. Because pancreatic cancer typically causes no significant symptoms, the majority of patients have locally advanced or metastatic disease when diagnosed. The advanced stage of the average pancreatic cancer diagnosis seriously limits treatment options, and surgical resection is rarely an option.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, develops in digestive enzyme-producing glands and ducts within the pancreas. These tumors are usually classified as “heterogenous,” signifying that the cancer cells throughout an individual’s tumor tend to differ substantially. In other words, different subpopulations of cells act differently than other subpopulations. Unfortunately, tumor heterogeneity imposes significant treatment challenges and prevents researchers from identifying accurate biomarkers to detect cancer earlier, at a more treatable stage.
A recent study published in Science Advances shows a novel strategy for evaluating cell subpopulations in PDAC. The study focuses on using abnormal sugar structures to classify subpopulations in the tumor and blood of PDAC patients.
The surface of cells, known as the plasma membrane, displays proteins and markers, including complexes of sugar molecules called glycans. The researchers developed antibodies that bind to glycans associated with PDAC. They then used these antibodies to classify all the specific patterns in a sample, resulting in a “sugar signature” that included details about the complete glycan makeup. This system allowed accurate distinction between PDAC and noncancer cells in sections of tumor tissue.
Next, the researchers aimed to apply this technology in a manner that allowed the evaluation of sugar signatures in blood samples, which are typically easier to obtain than tissue samples. The researchers demonstrated that they could identify sugar signatures in blood. In fact, the study revealed three subtypes of glycan-defined PDAC tumors, and evaluation of the abnormal glycans in the blood can identify each type.
The study validates a novel method for detecting and classifying PDAC tumors. As early detection of pancreatic cancers remains a significant clinical challenge, these methods could revolutionize PDAC screening strategies. Further development of this technology and enhanced clinical testing could provide a feasible approach to screening for PDAC through blood samples, which could be a gamechanger for pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Sources: CA Cancer J Clin, World J Gastrointest Oncol, Sci Advances