New Drug Could Improve Quality of Life of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Researchers from the University of Sheffield have developed a new drug that could improve life expectancy and quality of life for patients diagnosed with hard-to-treat cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, relapsed breast cancer, and liver cancer.

The Sheffield researchers, which received substantial grant funding from The Wellcome Trust, together with a team of experienced biotech entrepreneurs, founded the spin-out company Modulus Oncology. Through this, they were able to fast-track the drug into clinical testing within two years. 

The Sheffield team was examining a hormone called adrenomedullin when they discovered this new drug. Adrenomedullin is responsible for controlling the blood pressure and other vital body processes, but it also stimulates the growth and spread of cancer. 

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By utilizing the novel drug molecules known as adrenomedullin-2 receptor antagonists, the scientists found a way to block adrenomedullin in communicating with cancer cells without affecting its ability to regulate vital body functions such as blood pressure regulation. 

The findings showed evidence that the new drug molecules displayed a positive effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancer in mouse models. Tumors did not grow as fast, which shows that this drug can extend the life expectancy of patients. This study was published in the journal ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. 

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

Pancreatic cancer does not usually show symptoms until it has already metastasized to other organs. This is the reason why it is seldom detected during the early stages when it's most curable. Due to its location, pancreatic cancer tumors can easily spread to nearby organs like the liver and stomach. 

The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is only seven percent of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. Through the years, pancreatic cancer survival rates have been improving. However, the disease is still considered mostly incurable.

For the past 12 years, Tim Skerry, a professor from the University of Sheffield's Department of Oncology and Metabolism, along with a team of academic and industrial scientists from a range of scientific disciplines have been working on this study.

According to Professor Skerry, the study shows that there are two different types of receptors in the hormone adrenomedullin. What they did was they designed a unique piece in such a way that it can block signals from one receptor without interfering with the other.

By blocking the hormone's communication signal with the cancer cells, the cells will no longer have the means to thrive. Tumors are starved off from the resources that make them grow, which hinders their ability to spread to other areas of the body.

Professor Skerry also mentioned that due to the nature of pancreatic cancer tumors, it's harder to administer drugs into the tumor. But the researchers believe that adrenomedullin-2 receptors offer advantages for pancreatic cancer patients. 

The compound differs from traditional therapies such as cytotoxic drugs and radiotherapy because it targets only a limited number of cells without damaging the healthy cells in the body. With the drug, the research team is hoping it will improve the quality of life for patients undergoing treatment. 

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