Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that depleting a clotting protein made by the liver could slow down pancreatic cancer. The research, recently published in Gastroenterology and led by Melissa L. Fishel, Ph.D., shows that reducing fibrinogen in mouse models shrinks primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors and reduces their ability to metastasize to the liver. Fibrinogen is cleaved to fibrin following injury and is a primary structural component of blood clots. Fibrinogen is deposited on pancreatic tumors and contributes to their growth and the environment in which the tumor grows.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
