Protein in blood could be ‘Achilles heel’ for difficult to treat pancreatic cancer

Scientists may have discovered the “Achilles’ heel” of pancreatic cancer – a condition which is notoriously difficult to treat.

Researchers believe a protein called leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) plays a key role in the development of pancreatic tumours and could be a useful target for drugs.

The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests the protein is present in high levels in the blood of humanpancreaticpatients and could also be used to help detect the disease.

Advanced pancreatic cancer can have no symptoms and is often diagnosed too late, when it has already spread.

“We believe that LIF is the Achilles’ heel of pancreatic cancer, because it serves such an important role in the tumour,” Professor Tony Hunter, from the Salk American Cancer Society, said.

“It could serve two purposes, one as a diagnostic biomarker of pancreatic cancer, particularly the state of the disease, but it could also serve as a therapeutic target.”

There are two important cell types in pancreatic cancer, Prof Hunter said.stu

These are tumour cells that grow “as small nests”, and stellate cells which secrete proteins to form a barrier around the tumour.