Stanford Scientists Discover New Way to Make Pancreatic Cancer Cells Respond to Treatment
Researchers at Stanford University have found that the stiffness of the tissue surrounding pancreatic cancer cells plays a crucial role in how these cells respond to chemotherapy. Pancreatic cancer is known for being particularly aggressive and difficult to treat, partly due to its resistance to chemotherapy.
Key Findings
The study, published in Nature Materials, revealed that stiffer tissues make pancreatic cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy, while softer tissues make them more responsive. This discovery was made by Sarah Heilshorn, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford, and her team, including PhD student Bauer LeSavage.
How They Did It
The researchers developed three-dimensional materials that mimicked the properties of both pancreatic tumors and healthy pancreas tissues. They used these materials to culture cells from pancreatic cancer patients. They found that pancreatic cancer cells needed two things to become resistant to chemotherapy: a physically stiff extracellular matrix and high amounts of hyaluronic acid.
Reversing Chemoresistance
By moving the cancer cells to a softer matrix or blocking the CD44 receptor, the researchers were able to make the cells sensitive to chemotherapy again. This suggests that disrupting the stiffness signaling through the CD44 receptor could make pancreatic cancer treatable by normal chemotherapy.
Future Directions
The team is continuing to investigate the CD44 receptor and the biological mechanisms that lead to chemoresistance. They are also working to improve their cell culture model to better mimic the environment around a tumor. This research could open up new avenues for treating chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer and highlight the importance of using realistic models to find treatments.
Heilshorn emphasized the importance of testing chemotherapies in matrices relevant to patients, as the way cells respond to drugs depends on the surrounding matrix.
