scientists โfunded in the united Kingdom have โฃdiscoveredโ dementia-typeโค behavior in pancreas cellsโข at risk of transforming into cancer. The resultsโ provide clues that couldโค help wiht the treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer, a โฃarduous disease to treat linkedโ toโ 6,900 deaths in the Unitedโฃ Kingdom โคeach year [[1]]. Research published on August 15 inโ the journal *Growth โUnit* was funded by Cancer Research UK, with additional โsupport from Wellcome, the Medical Research council,โฃ and Biotechnology and โBiological Sciences Research Council โข [[1]].
Researchersโ from the cancer Research โUK โScotland Center studied pancreatic cells in mice over time to determine โwhat โฃcauses healthy cells โto โbecome cancerous. โคThey discovered that pancreatic โcells at riskโ of becoming โcancerous, called pre-cancer cells, develop โฃdefects in the cell recycling process (called “autophagy”) [[1]]. In โคthese pre-cancerโ cells,โ researchers noticed excessive molecules of โ”problemโค proteins” forming clusters-a behavior observedโค in neurological diseases โsuch as dementia. Similar findings were also observed in human pancreatic samples,suggesting this occurs during the development ofโค pancreatic cancer [[1]].
Cancer โขResearch UK Fellow at โthe โUniversity of Edinburgh University Institute,Professor Simon Wilkinson,statedโค that the research showsโข the potential role of โฃdisturbed autophagy in theโ beginnings of pancreatic cancer. He suggests that research on other diseases where protein aggregation occurs, such as dementia, could help better understand โคthis aggressive cancerโค and how to prevent it [[1]].While survival rates have improved for many types of cancer in recent decades, this has not been โขthe case for pancreaticโ cancer, partly becuase it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage where treatment options are โคlimitedโ [[1]]. To address this, researchers wantedโฃ to understand โwhat โขcauses pancreatic cells to become cancerous.โ Several types โขof cancer,including pancreatic cancer,are linked to a defective mutation in a gene called *Kras*,but scientists are learning thatโค geneticโฃ changes are not the whole storyโค [[1]].
One way cells โstay โขhealthy is by breaking โฃdown molecules they no longer need throughโค a recycling process called autophagy. This process is particularly critically important โขin the pancreas to control the levelsโค of digestive proteins andโข hormones it โฃproducesโ [[1]]. Scientists have studiedโค autophagy extensively and know it plays a key role in diseases like cancer. In certain specific cases, cancerโค cells โฃbecome dependent on โขautophagy, diverting the recycling process to help โthem divide โคand grow moreโค quickly [[1]].
This research suggestsโ that a โcombination of a defective *Kras* gene and disturbed autophagy could contributeโ to โขthe developmentโค of pancreatic โcancer. Researchersโฃ plan to study these processes in more detailโ to determine โif they can predict or โeven reverse the onset of pancreatic cancer, and whether factors like age,โข sex, or diet play โa role [[1]].
