Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre presented results from an experiment on treating pancreatic cancer in mice. The study used a three-drug combination designed to simultaneously block the KRAS signaling pathway, a related signal-transmission mechanism, and the STAT3 protein.
The therapy included two drugs already used in oncology — Afatinib and Daraxorazib — as well as a new compound that suppresses STAT3. By acting at the same time on three key mechanisms of tumor growth, the malignant lesions completely disappeared in three models. Over 200 days — a serious stretch by mouse standards — no recurrences were observed. The treatment did not cause severe side effects, and healthy pancreatic tissue recovered.
With pancreatic cancer, nearly 87% of patients do not survive five years. Earlier attempts focused on turning off one leading tumor mechanism at a time. But cancer quickly finds ways around such approaches. In this study, three growth pathways were blocked at once, leaving the tumor with no room to maneuver. And although the experiments are still limited to animal models, there is now reason to believe that a combined strike on key signaling pathways could change the rules of the game.
