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ARTICLE AD BOX
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers due to its late detection, dense tumour structure, and resistance to conventional therapies.
A research group in Spain has reported a major breakthrough in the fight against pancreatic cancer, announcing a treatment that completely erased the most aggressive form of the disease in laboratory mice. The findings have reignited optimism around a cancer long considered nearly impossible to treat.
The study was led by Mariano Barbacid at Spain’s Spanish National Cancer Research Centre and represents the outcome of nearly six years of intensive work. Researchers found that a newly developed three-drug combination eliminated pancreatic tumours entirely, with no signs of the cancer returning after treatment ended.
Why is pancreatic cancer so difficult to treat?
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers due to its late detection, dense tumour structure, and resistance to conventional therapies. Many treatments fail because the cancer quickly adapts, allowing it to survive even after targeted drug attacks.
How does the CNIO approach differ from standard treatments?
Unlike therapies that focus on a single molecular target, the CNIO strategy simultaneously blocks multiple survival pathways. By combining three drugs, the treatment prevents cancer cells from adapting and finding alternative routes to grow. As Barbacid has stressed before, pancreatic cancer “cannot be defeated with a single-drug strategy.”
“This tumour,” Barbacid has said in earlier research discussions, is exceptionally flexible in how it survives treatment. According to the researchers, only a coordinated shutdown of several biological pathways can stop the disease from reprogramming itself and returning after therapy.
What happened to the mice after treatment ended?
In controlled experiments, mice with advanced pancreatic cancer showed complete tumour disappearance following the triple-drug therapy. More strikingly, long-term monitoring revealed no relapse, suggesting the treatment may neutralise the biological triggers that usually cause the cancer to come back.
The results were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Peer reviewers highlighted the durability of the response and the unusually low toxicity observed in the animals—an essential factor for any future human application. Independent experts noted that long-lasting, relapse-free responses are extremely rare in pancreatic cancer models.
Why does Mariano Barbacid’s involvement matter?
Barbacid is among Europe’s most influential cancer scientists. In the early 1980s, he helped identify the first human oncogene, reshaping modern cancer biology. His decades-long focus on KRAS-driven tumours adds significant credibility, especially since KRAS mutations appear in about 90 per cent of pancreatic cancers.
The work was carried out at CNIO, one of Europe’s leading cancer research centres, with funding from Fundación CRIS Contra el Cáncer. The study followed established protocols and underwent independent peer review, with CNIO officials stressing that no scientific safeguards were bypassed.
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