The finding was led by researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM-Hospital del Mar) and the Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute (IIBB-CSIC), center of the Superior Council of Scientific Investigations (CSIC), reported the Europa Press agency.
The study analyzed the usefulness of the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL, a protein present on the surface of cells, to detect the presence of pancreatic cancer, a protein that is usually absent in normal cells, although it is observed in certain types of tumors like the pancreatic.
“The AXL protein is a specific marker that tells us that there are already malignant cells. The fact that this marker is linked to cells in the tumor stage gives it great importance due to its specificity in diagnosing pancreatic cancer,” said Pilar. Navarro, researcher at the IIBB-CSIC and the IMIM-Hospital del Mar.
To demonstrate the diagnostic utility of this marker using a blood test, the researchers analyzed samples from more than 200 patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic tumors.
“In this way, the presence of the soluble AXL protein in blood was demonstrated as a marker in patients who had already developed the tumor, without being present in healthy individuals or in those suffering from chronic pancreatitis”, highlighted the Neus Martínez-Bosch researchers. and Helena Cristobal.
This conclusion makes it possible to advance in the detection of pancreatic cancer by identifying the tumor even in patients with pancreatitis, a pathology that can make diagnosis difficult.
Thus, one obtains a new diagnostic marker, a very valuable tool because the shortage of these means that only 20% of patients can be operated on time.
This new marker represents a great innovation in the detection of a type of cancer for which there is no early diagnosis biomarker.
Currently, the CA19-9 protein is used only to assess response to therapy, but cannot be used diagnostically because of its low specificity.
“For this reason, having a new tool is of special relevance, especially considering that early diagnosis is essential for tumor surgery, the only curative treatment option”, highlights Laura Visa, doctor in the Oncology Service Doctor of the Hospital del Mar.
Source From: Ambito
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