Mayo Clinic study finds GLA inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth - Life Extension Update
Mayo Clinic study finds GLA inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth
Friday, April 6, 2012. The results of a study reported by Mayo Clinic
pathologist Ruth Lupu, PhD at the American Association for Cancer Research
Annual Meeting 2012, held in Chicago from March 31 to April 4, revealed a
protective effect for gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that
is available as a dietary supplement, against the growth of one type of
pancreatic cancer.
"One of the most devastating facts about pancreatic cancer is the paucity of
effective drugs that exist to halt a tumor," Dr Lupu commented. "We knew
from studies done about 20 years ago that polyunsaturated fatty acids such
as GLA could influence cancers in general, but we didn't know which type of
fatty acids and to what degree."
Dr Lupu's team initially evaluated the effects of GLA in a number of
cultured pancreatic cancer cell lines and discovered an inhibitory effect in
a subtype that expresses a gene for fatty acid synthase. In earlier
research, the team showed that fatty acid synthase is highly expressed in
pancreatic adenocarcinomas and may be a marker of poor survival. "This was
very exciting finding, because we realized that GLA was working selectively
and had a particular target within cells," Dr Lupu remarked.
When GLA was tested in cells with high fatty acid synthase levels, 85
percent of cancer cell growth was inhibited, which is a significant
improvement over gemcitabine, the standard chemotherapy for pancreatic
cancer which provides only a modest benefit. When the two compounds were
combined, the researchers observed complete inhibition of pancreatic cancer
cell growth. The combination was also demonstrated to significantly inhibit
pancreatic cancer growth in mice. "The two treatments worked
synergistically, and we achieved a significantly higher inhibition of cell
growth and higher incidence of dead pancreatic carcinoma cells," Dr Lupu
stated. "We don't yet know why the combination works better, but we know
that many drugs work better when used together."
Dr Lupu plans to test the combination of GLA in gemcitabine in humans with
cancer of the pancreas. "Since resistance to gemcitabine and other
chemotherapy drugs can be an issue in treatment, we hope GLA will work in
combination with other chemotherapy drugs to offer patients a wide range of
treatment opportunities," she said.
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