Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer face a poor prognosis because the tumor forms dense scarlike tissue that is difficult for chemotherapy drugs to penetrate, but a new model may help researchers develop new therapies.
Assistant Professor Joshua Reineke of the South Dakota State University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
“More than 85 percent of pancreatic tumors form this fibrous tissue,†explained Assistant Professor Joshua Reineke of the South Dakota State University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. However, most models used to test new drugs and drug delivery methods do not have this feature.
Reineke and his research team developed a 3D pancreatic cancer model in which the tumor surrounds itself with the fibrous tissue, known as a desmoplastic stroma reaction, through funding from the South Dakota Board of Regents. In addition, the researchers compared the new model with tumor tissue donated by patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer through collaboration with Avera Medical Group Oncology and Hematology.
“This model is a screening tool—it’s not the golden ticket, but it can be used to identify things that work or don’t work at an earlier stage,†said Reineke.
Visit sdstate.edu/news/2018/12/new-tumor-model-helps-researchers-treat-pancreatic-cancer for more on this research.
