Scientists Achieve Breakthrough by Successfully Eliminating Pancreatic Cancer in Mice for the First Time

A research team from Spain’s National Center for Oncological Research (CNIO), led by scientist Mariano Barbacid, has achieved a groundbreaking result by eliminating the most common and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer in mice for the first time. The therapy, developed by CNIO researchers Vasiliki Liaki and Sara Barrambana in collaboration with Carmen Guerra, combines three drugs to target key mechanisms driving tumor growth. One drug inhibits the KRAS oncogene, a major driver of pancreatic cancer, while the other two block EGFR and STAT3 proteins. Together, these drugs completely halted tumor progression in preclinical models.

In the study, 18 mice implanted with human pancreatic cancer cells received the treatment, and 16 remained cancer-free more than 200 days after therapy ended. Barbacid emphasized that this is the first instance of a complete and durable response in pancreatic cancer models, preventing treatment resistance and showing no significant side effects. The therapy specifically targets pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent type of pancreatic cancer, which is known for its resistance to conventional treatments and a five-year survival rate of only 8 to 10 percent.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and reported by the Spanish news agency EFE, represent the culmination of over six years of research. In 2019, Barbacid’s team achieved limited success by targeting EGFR and RAF1, but the addition of STAT3 inhibition led to a more effective and lasting treatment strategy.

Looking ahead, the researchers aim to refine the therapy, test it in diverse mouse models with varying genetic profiles, study its impact on metastasis, and determine which patients may benefit most from this approach. Barbacid also encouraged hospitals and laboratories to collaborate by providing patient samples to support further research. He noted that while significant work remains, this discovery represents a major step toward the possibility of curing pancreatic cancer.