Pancreatic Cancer News Feed -- What's the latest in pancreatic cancer research?

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for Halozyme's program investigating PEGPH20 (PEGylated recombinant human hyaluronidase) in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer to demonstrate an improvement in overall survival.

Promising Lustgarten funded research pancreatic immunotherapy fast tracked Regulators designated Aduro Biotech Inc.'s new combination of CRS-207 and GVAX Pancreas drugs a "breakthrough therapy," putting it on the fast track to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Aspirin may cut risk of pancreatic cancer in half Taking aspirin may cut in half the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a study by the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale Cancer Center.

A paper diagnostic for cancer MIT engineers have developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows noncommunicable diseases to be detected using the same strategy.

DNA Shed By Tumors Shows Promise for Non-Invasive Screening and Prognosis Certain fragments of DNA shed by tumors into the bloodstream can potentially be used to non-invasively screen for early-stage cancers, monitor responses to treatment and help explain why some cancers are resistant to therapies, according to results of an international study. Analyzing blood samples from 640 patients with various cancers, the researchers used digital polymerase chain reaction-based technology to evaluate how well the DNA fragments predicted the presence of tumors in the patients. Investigators say the work provides strong evidence that ctDNA could be used as a �personalized biomarker� test and cancer screening tool.

Mayo Clinic Researchers Decode Origin of Inflammation-Driven Pancreatic Can Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have revealed the process by which chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatitis, morphs into pancreatic cancer. They say their findings point to ways to identify pancreatitis patients at risk of pancreatic cancer and to potential drug therapies that might reverse the process. The study, published online in The Journal of Cell Biology, maps how inflammation pushes acinar cells in the pancreas � those that produce digestive enzymes � to transform into duct-like cells. As these cells change, they can acquire mutations that can result in further progression to pancreatic cancer.

Consuming a high-quality diet is associated with lower risk of pancreatic c People who reported dietary intake that was most consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans had lower risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published Aug. 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

NIH scientists visualize how cancer chromosome abnormalities form in living For the first time, scientists have directly observed events that lead to the formation of a chromosome abnormality that is often found in cancer cells. The abnormality, called a translocation, occurs when part of a chromosome breaks off and becomes attached to another chromosome. A chromosome translocation is visualized with images within circles indicating chromosome breaks.

Mechanism offers promising new approach for harnessing the immune system to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a way to target the immune system to shrink or eliminate tumors in mice without causing autoimmune problems. Researchers also found evidence that the same mechanism may operate in humans.

Genetics: More than merely a mutated gene If two women have the same genetic mutation that puts them at higher-than-average risk for a disease such as breast cancer, why does only one develop the disease?

Technique filters cancer where chemo cant reach A cancer therapy that removes malignant cells from a patient\\\'s cerebrospinal fluid may soon be available to prevent metastases and decrease complications of cancers

Large study reveals increased cancer risks associated with family history o A family history of cancer increases the risk of other members of the family developing not only the same cancer but also a different (discordant) cancer, according to a large study of 23,000 people in Italy and Switzerland.

NYU-Poly nano scientists reach holy grail in label-free cancer marker detec Just months after setting a record for detecting the smallest single virus in solution, researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University announced a new breakthrough: A nano-enhanced version of their biosensor detected a single cancer marker protein and even smaller molecules below the mass of all known markers.

Breakthrough in detecting DNA mutations could help treat tuberculosis, canc Researchers at the University of Washington and Rice University have developed a new method that can look at a specific segment of DNA and pinpoint a single mutation, which could help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis.

Molecular robots can help researchers build more targeted therapeutics Many drugs such as agents for cancer or autoimmune diseases have nasty side effects because while they kill disease-causing cells, they also affect healthy cells. Now a new study has demonstrated a technique for developing more targeted drugs, by using molecular "robots" to hone in on more specific populations of cells.

Putting the brakes on inflammation A team led by a UA researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism that prevents the immune system from going into overdrive. The findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's disease, allergies, chronic inflammation and cancer, and offer potential applications for therapies.

New plan of attack in cancer fight New research by Harvard scientists shows that, under certain conditions, using two drugs in a "targeted therapy" -- a treatment approach designed to interrupt cancer's ability to grow and spread -- nearly all cancers could be effectively cured. 7/18/2013 3:00 PM

Deadliest cancers may respond to new drug treatment strategy UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to knock down cancers caused by a tumor-driving protein called �myc,� paving the way for patients with myc-driven cancers to enroll in clinical trials for experimental treatments.

Protecting the body in good times and bad Brandeis scientists bring us a step closer to understanding how to control cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

Self-perpetuating signals may drive tumor cells to spread A team of international researchers has identified a self-perpetuating signaling circuit inside connective tissue cells that allows these cells to form a front and a back and propel themselves in a particular direction over a long period of time.