Glasgow University. UK: Researchers have found that pancreatic cancer can be split into four
unique types, a discovery that could be used to improve treatments for
the disease, according to a study published in Nature.
The international team of scientists, including researchers from The
University of Glasgow, found that these four types were created when
large chunks of DNA are shuffled around. The team also identified the
genes that could be damaged in this way.
These four disease types* are based on the extent of the cancer’s
genetic shuffling, with the tumours classified depending on the
frequency, location and types of DNA rearrangements.
This shuffling of chunks of DNA causes genetic chaos with genes
deleted, wrongly switched on and off or entirely new versions being
created. Among the genetic faults found are some that could potentially
be targeted with existing drugs.
Study co-lead, Professor Andrew Biankin, Director of the Wolfson-Wohl
Cancer Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, said: “Despite
many decades of research into pancreatic cancer we have faced numerous
obstacles in finding new and effective treatments. But our crucial study
sheds light on how the chaotic chromosomal rearrangements cause a huge
range of genetic faults that are behind the disease and provide
opportunities for more personalised pancreatic cancer treatment.”
The study also suggests which pancreatic cancer patients may benefit
from platinum-based drugs – these are commonly used chemotherapy
treatments, typically used for testicular or ovarian cancer.
So far these drugs have had limited impact in pancreatic cancer but
the researchers found that a handful of patients who had ‘unstable’
chromosome rearrangements and defects in the DNA repair pathways could
potentially benefit, sometimes showing exceptional improvement.
Much of the work was carried out in Australia and the project was
Australia’s contribution to the International Cancer Genome Consortium
(ICGC), with the country’s National Health and Medical Research Council
providing A$25.5m.
Co-lead and principal investigator on the Australian ICGC program
Professor Sean Grimmond, who led all the genomic analysis and is now at
the University of Glasgow, added: “Being able to identify which patients
would benefit from platinum-based treatments would be a game-changing
moment for treating pancreatic cancer, potentially improving survival
for a group of patients.”