Polysaccharide Targets Can Lead New Ways to Treat Pancreatic Cancer

Many pancreatic cancer patients have elevated levels of polysaccharide called CA19-9 in their bloodCA19-9 is therefore an important marker for diagnosing pancreatic cancer and monitoring cancer developmentResearchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States found that in genetically modified mouse models, increasing CA19-9 levels on protein surfaces through genetically modified mice can lead to severe pancreatitis in miceAnd if these genetically modified mice were carrying both THE KRAS cancer-causing gene mutation, they would develop pancreatic cancerfurther studiesshow that CA19-9 can cause epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways to become overactive, and when researchers use antibodies against CA19-9 to suppress CA19-9 activity, they can prevent the activation of the EGFR signaling pathway and reverse pancreatitis in miceBecause pancreatic cancer is a cancer based on pancreatitisThis means that anti-CA19-9 antibodies may be a cure for pancreatic cancerInterestingly, BioNTech is already developing a monoclonal antibody that targets CA19-9The antibody, called MVT-5873, is already in clinical developmentAt last year's ASCO annual meeting, Phase 1 clinical trialresults showed that in six patients with pancreatic cancer and other cancers with high levels of CA19-9, MV-5873 therapy led to a reduction in lesions in all patients, partial remission in four patients, and stable disease in two patientsBioNTech said the study, published in the journal Science, was of great help in evaluating MVT-5873 and further demonstrating that CA19-9 is a promising target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitisReferences:a long-known biomarker backs BioNTech's antibody for the truc cancerRetrieved June 20, 2019, from https://2, Engle et al., (2019)The glycan CA19-9 promotes stalusis and the dalsin cancer in mice Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw3145 3, BioNTech snaps up struggling MabVax's lead asset, labs, eyeing San Diego R.D sitehttps://