Scientists from Johns Hopkins Hospital in the USA found that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases in the elderly due to age-related changes in cells called fibroblasts. results published In the journal Cancer Research (Cancer Res).
In the study, researchers compared pancreatic fibroblast samples from patients over 55 with those from people under 35. Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells that actively synthesize extracellular matrix proteins, especially collagen. Their main function is to maintain the structural integrity of connective tissues in the body.
Analysis of both types of samples showed that a critical change in the functioning of aging pancreatic fibroblasts is the increased secretion of a protein called growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15). During experiments on laboratory mice, it was revealed that GDF-15 promotes the rapid growth of pancreatic cancer tumors.
It is stated that genetic modification aimed at suppressing the gene encoding GDF-15 in rodents caused the opposite effect. But improvements were only seen in mice with aged fibroblasts.
According to the scientists, their research has brought us closer to understanding why pancreatic cancer in the elderly often occurs in an incurable and aggressive form. They also added that experimental drugs that block the GDF-15 signaling pathway of tumor cells have already been developed. The researchers emphasized that it is now important to focus on investigating their effectiveness in different age groups.
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Source: Gazeta
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