Cancer Research UK have suggested that a new class of drugs may help in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Nearly 8,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year. Over 80% of people die within a year of being diagnosed and it it the fifth most deadly cancer in the UK.
A recent study has shown that in cases of pancreatic cancer, a gene is being switched off in the cancerous cells. The gene, USP9x, usually stops the cells from dividing uncontrollably.
The gene doesn’t mutate, but proteins and chemicals attach to the gene and effectively switch it off. Experts estimate that this could be responsible for up to 15% of pancreatic cancers.
A spokesperson for Cancer Research UK said: “These results raise the possibility that a class of promising new cancer drugs may be effective at treating some pancreatic cancers.”
Cancer Research UK have confirmed that there are some drugs that are already being tested that may potentially switch the USP9x gene back on.
Researchers have discovered that some tags on the surface of DNA are responsible for switching the gene on and off. The new drugs may be able to strip away the tags and switch the genes back on. There are some drugs that are being tested on lung cancer that are ‘showing promise.’
Other experts have welcomed the study as an addition to the understanding of the disease, but also warn that they still need to identify all of the genes that are involved in the development of cancer.