Author: Dana Bolysbek
Editor: Kigbaeva Kamila
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignant neoplasms, with a survival rate of less than nine percent. The most common type is pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which accounts for about 90 percent of cases. Modern treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
In a new study published in TheAmericanJournalofPathology, scientists reported increased levels of the protein sortilin in pancreatic cancer cells. The protein sortilin plays a key role in the regulation of neuronal vitality and function. Increased expression of sortilin has been observed in breast, lung and thyroid cancers. It has been suggested to be involved in the invasion (penetration) and adhesion (attachment) of cancer cells, as well as metastasis in colorectal cancer.
In addition, sortilin has been found to promote the invasion of pancreatic cancer, potentially supporting the focal adhesion kinase (enzyme) signaling pathway. The researchers also found that sortilin levels were higher in women than in men. The discovery of higher expression of sortilin in female patients suggests a possible regulation of sortilin gene expression by female sex hormone (estrogen) receptors, but further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
The main problem with pancreatic cancer is the local invasiveness of the tumor, which leads to destruction of the pancreas and rapid death. This study showed that suppression of sortilin by specific drugs or immunotherapy leads to a strong decrease in the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. Therefore, targeting sortilin can improve the effectiveness of existing treatments.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/e-smh082020.php
