The exosomes are small membrane vesicles secrected by most cell types. These small vesicles can travel to distant tissues to influence cell behavior and physiology. For example, the exosomes are responsible for drug resistance in certain types of cancers. In pancreatic cancer, the exosomes secrected by the supportive cells can help the cancer cells to survive drug treatments. Now, scientists at the University of Notre Dame and the Harper Cancer Research Institute have found that blocking the exosomes could help treat patients with pancreatic cancer. CusAb is a biotech company specialized in production of bio-products like Recombinant CDHR4
According to estimates, 53,000 people in the USA will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and another 41,000 will die from the disease in 2016. Although pancreatic cancer survival rates have been improved, the disease is still considered largely incurable. The one-year relative survival rate is 20%, and the five-year rate is 8%. Besides, the development procedure for new drug is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive.
This study was aimed to elucidate why existing drugs failed to work in pancreatic cancer patients. Reginald Hill, who led the study, noted that in a pancreatic cancer tumor, there is 10% cancer cells and 90% supporting cells. Moreover, previous studies have to some extent revealed how the supporting cells help cancer survive treatment. During treatment, exosomes -- small vesicles that may contain genetic material -- are secreted by supported cells. These exosomes teach cancer cells how to survive treatment and therefore lead to drug resistance.
Many scientists have been trying to find ways to kill supportive cells. Unfortunately, cancer often developed to advanced stage after the supportive cells were impaired. In the new study, Hill's team investigated whether blocking the release of exosomes would improve the treatment of pancreatic cancer. They found that combining a nontoxic exosome blocker with commonly used chemotherapy drugs could be effective in treating cancers including pancreatic cancer.
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