Pancreatic cancer, the frontier of research for increasingly effective treatments

Pancreatic cancer is on the rise in all industrialised countries, representing the seventh most common malignancy in Europe and the fourth most common cause of death from cancer. It is a disease that is difficult to identify early and also has limited treatment options. This is why, on 21 November, International Pancreatic Cancer Day takes on an important value in raising public awareness and inviting people to donate to support scientific research. Because research is making progress, small steps forward, which in order to become faster and more targeted need everyone's support. One of the initiatives is that of the Humanitas Foundation, which has decided to invite patients, researchers, patient associations, donors and research ambassadors on 21 November for a moment of sharing and discussion (at 3.00 p.m. in Building 8 of the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano) with the intervention of 5 researchers and the burying of tulip bulbs (also available online fondazionehumanitasdonazioni.com/coltivalacura against a minimum donation of 15 euros.).

But what are the most important research developments aimed at making pancreatic cancer increasingly curable?

"This neoplasm ranks 4th in terms of mortality, so every little bit of progress is crucial," explains Alessandro Zerbi, head of pancreatic surgery at Irccs Istituto Clinico Humanitas and lecturer at Humanitas University. Thanks to the support of Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca and the collaboration between Humanitas and Politecnico di Milano, we have generated an artificial model of the pancreas, called 'phantom'. This project also benefits from the expertise in bioengineering and 3D printing of the new 3D Innovation Lab, recently established at Humanitas University. The artificial material that makes up the phantom is very similar to the natural material that the pancreas is made of, which is why it is perfect both for training surgeons and residents and for identifying increasingly suitable instruments for pancreatic surgery, such as glues or suture threads that are resistant to pancreatic acids'.

Another step forward in research is the project aimed at creating organoids: these are three-dimensional models grown from the patient's own tumour cells that preserve the cellular heterogeneity, architecture and genetic heritage of the original tumour. 'Simplifying, we can say that these models are miniature replicas of human tumours,' Zerbi clarifies.

The use and development of these models allows us to study the disease at a biological level in greater depth, because they enable us to faithfully reproduce tumour characteristics in the laboratory, offering an extremely realistic model for the study of tumour biology, the discovery of specific biomarkers, the development of new drugs, and the personalisation of therapies for each patient. It is an ambitious project that aims to innovate the approach to oncology research and precision medicine, offering new opportunities to improve prognosis and optimise patient care, thanks to a cutting-edge experimental platform that integrates advanced technology and multidisciplinary expertise'.