Polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (pIC) shows promise as a vaccine-like approach against pancreatic cancer. In healthy mice, administration of pIC slowed the growth of later tumors by about 60 percent. The findings were reported in the Journal of Cancer Immunotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat. Current data indicate an annual survival rate around 24 percent, with only a small fraction surviving more than five years after detection. In a new study, researchers demonstrated that delivering pIC directly to a tumor cell via a water-soluble polyethyleneimine polymer could trigger destruction of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells.
Moreover, experiments in mice showed that giving pIC prior to cancer development produced a vaccine-like effect, slowing tumor growth by roughly 60 percent. The treatment appeared to rewire immune responses to target the tumor and was reported as safe for normal pancreatic tissue. The authors noted that such results had not been observed in prior work, and the substance is described as ready for early human testing.
There is ongoing discussion in the scientific community about the role of imaging techniques in cancer risk. Some researchers have explored potential associations between certain imaging procedures and changes in cancer risk, but these findings require careful interpretation and further study to draw firm conclusions about cause and effect.