Researchers from National Chung Cheng University (CCU) and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) have identified a novel signaling mechanism in pancreatic cancer patients, knowledge of which might help improve survival rates for the deadly disease.
The newly-discovered TIMP1-CD63 signaling mechanism causes Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue (KRAS)-mutated cells found in about 90 percent of pancreatic cancer patients to evade destruction by the immune system, the CCU and NCKU said last week.
The researchers found that a gene deficiency known as dual specificity phosphatase-2 (DUSP2) helps KRAS-mutated cells continue growing.
Photo: Screen grab from National Cheng Kung University’s Web site
The interaction of those factors results in a “vicious cycle” that promotes the progression of pancreatic cancer, which has a survival rate of less than 10 percent, the researchers said.
“Disruption of the vicious cycle ... may be a highly potential way to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression,” the researchers said.
Led by CCU Department of Physiology chair professor Tsai Shaw-jenq (蔡少正) and NCKU College of Medicine dean Shan Yan-shen (沈延盛), the research team published their findings in the scientific journal Molecular Cancer last month.
Photo: Screen grab from National Cheng Kung University’s Web site
The paper, titled “Intercellular TIMP-1-CD63 signaling directs the evolution of immune escape and metastasis in KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancer cells,” was based on in vitro and in vivo experiments on mice, as well as spatial transcriptomic analysis of tumors.
“Understanding interactions between various cells in pancreatic cancer tumor micro-environments is of great significance for developing blocking strategies, improving early diagnosis rates and improving patient prognoses,” Shan said.
The research supports the view that chronic inflammation is a major factor in cancer progression, because it draws a large presence of macrophages — large immune system cells that digest pathogens.
Based on the interaction of active TIMP-1-CD63 signaling and low DUSP2, the presence of macrophages triggered the “vicious cycle” of tumor growth and might actually play a role in sustaining tumor progression, researchers said.
The research was primarily funded by Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council and National Health Research Institutes.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
RSS