Mariano Barbacid and Carmen Guerra coordinate the congress entitled 'Pancreatic Cancer: Challenges and Future Perspectives', with the participation of three research groups from CNIO
Around a dozen researchers, mostly from European institutions, will present findings from basic, translational and clinical research
The congress is taking place at Fundación Ramón Areces on 17 September. Free entry with in-advance registration
Pancreatic cancer is one of the best-known tumours at a molecular level, yet its survival rate remains extremely low. Less than 5% of patients survive for five years following diagnosis.
This has to do with late diagnosis, as most cases are detected when the tumour is no longer operable. Furthermore, when it comes to pancreatic cancer, there has not been a great deal of progress so far in the use of personalised therapies or immunotherapy, which have been successful in treating other types of tumours.
The latest advances in research in this area will be presented on 17 September at the conference Pancreatic Cancer: Challenges and Future Perspectives, organised by two researchers from the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Mariano Barbacid and Carmen Guerra. It will take place at Fundación Ramón Areces.
Around twenty researchers mostly from European institutions will present findings from basic, translational and clinical research on the origin and molecular and cellular evolution of these tumours; the search for new therapies in experimental models; and trials with a new generation of drugs, especially KRAS oncogene inhibitors.
The aim is to provide “an updated overview of the progress being made in the study and treatment of PDAC (Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma),” the organisers have stated.
Mariano Barbacid is head of the Experimental Oncology group at CNIO, where Carmen Guerra also conducts research, specialising in pancreatic cancer. Representing CNIO, following researchers are also participating in the congress: Francisco X. Real, head of the Epithelial Carcinogenesis group; Núria Malats, head of the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology group; and Vasiliki Liaki, from the Experimental Oncology group.
Prevention and early detection
Francisco X. Real will be highlighting the need to develop preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer. His group investigates the molecular mechanisms involved in the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer and has recently discovered a pharmacological strategy that could help reduce the risk of developing this tumour.
Núria Malats will talk about the molecular-scale relationship between pancreatic cancer, diabetes and obesity. Vasiliki Liaki will present results showing the effectiveness of various combined therapies in animal models, potentially useful in “guiding the development of clinical trials that could benefit pancreatic cancer patients.”
New drugs and approaches with immunotherapy
Researcher Teresa Macarulla, from the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), will present the new therapeutic strategies being explored “to improve the survival rates of pancreatic cancer patients over the next decade,” she explains.
Ignacio Garrido-Laguna, from the Huntsman Cancer Institute – Cancer Hospital South at the University of Utah (USA), will analyse the results obtained from newly developed drugs that inhibit the oncogene KRAS, which is mutated in 90% of patients with the most common type of pancreatic cancer. He will talk about clinical trials with new inhibitors currently under study and their synergy with immunotherapy-based strategies.
Peter Bailey, director of Translational Research at the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Research Centre (Lisbon), primarily investigates the genetic and non-genetic mechanisms driving chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer. Bailey has made fundamental contributions to the classification of pancreatic cancer (so-called ‘Bailey subtypes’).
The conference is free to attend although, as places are limited, in-advance online registration is required.
For more information about the programme and the participants, see: Activities – Fundación Ramón Areces