Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, have discovered a protein called SPP1 that plays a pivotal role in the aggressive progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer. When they blocked SPP1 in lab-grown mini-tumors and in mice, tumour growth slowed significantly and spread largely stopped — findings that could reshape future therapies.
Why Pancreatic Cancer Is So Dangerous
Pancreatic cancer often evades detection until late in its course, making it one of the hardest cancers to treat. In England and Wales, over 60% of patients are diagnosed at stage IV, and many die within a month — survival rates remain starkly low.
Notably, the scientists found that SPP1 levels were higher in advanced tumours, and elevated SPP1 correlated with worse patient outcomes.
Turning Off SPP1 Slows Tumours and Prevents Spread
The team conducted experiments in both cell (mini-tumour) models and animal (mouse) models to test SPP1’s role. In lab models, shutting off the gene for SPP1 led to fewer, smaller tumours. In mice engineered with pancreatic cancer, disabling SPP1 extended survival: whereas none of the control mice survived beyond 50 days, about 20% of mice lacking SPP1 lived up to 400 days. Importantly, tumours in these mice did not metastasize.
As reported by TOI, the researchers also observed a rise in GREM1, a protein implicated in limiting tumour spread, when SPP1 was blocked. This suggests that blocking SPP1 may trigger other pathways that suppress metastasis.
How This Could Guide Future Therapies
By establishing SPP1 as a critical driver of tumour growth and spread, scientists now have a clear target for developing anti-cancer drugs. Inhibitors that precisely block SPP1 could halt or slow pancreatic cancer progression, giving patients precious time for other treatments to work.
Professor Axel Behrens, a stem cell biologist at ICR, emphasized that this discovery opens a pathway for therapies that could help patients live longer and with better quality of life.
Reactions, Next Steps, and Challenges
Experts hailed the research as a major advance. Professor Kristian Helin, CEO of ICR, described it as “an important step toward more effective treatments” for one of the deadliest cancers. Meanwhile, Pancreatic Cancer UK’s research director stressed the urgent need for therapies targeting proteins like SPP1 because most patients succumb within months of diagnosis.
Moving forward, the research team plans to develop highly specific drugs against SPP1 and explore their potential in clinical trials. If successful, these trials could bring hope to thousands of patients worldwide.