Clinical trial tests vitamin D analog to weaken pancreatic cancer defenses

Oct 5, 8:06 AM2 min read

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

A clinical trial led by Dana Farber researchers shows a vitamin D analog may help weaken the protective shield around pancreatic tumors, potentially aiding chemotherapy.

Researchers at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute have tested a vitamin D analog called paricalcitol to see if it can help chemotherapy penetrate the protective environment of pancreatic tumors.

A small clinical trial published in Nature Cancer investigated whether paricalcitol, an FDA-approved vitamin D analog, could make metastatic pancreatic cancer more vulnerable to standard treatment. According to ScienceDaily, the study aimed to activate vitamin D receptors to alter the tumor's microenvironment, specifically targeting fibroblasts that create a dense protective barrier around the cancer.

The trial involved patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer who received chemotherapy either alone or paired with paricalcitol. Researchers found that the drug, administered either orally or intravenously, was safe to combine with chemotherapy and reduced fibroblast activation within the tumor environment, supporting earlier laboratory findings.

While the study was not designed to determine if the treatment improved patient outcomes, ScienceDaily reported encouraging signals among participants. Patients receiving the vitamin D analog showed more responses to treatment and were more likely to be free of disease progression after one year. The longest overall survival was observed in patients who received paricalcitol and whose tumors had high levels of the vitamin D receptor.

Study co-author Ronald Evans of the Salk Institute noted that the approach uses the body's natural systems to dampen inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Evans, who discovered the nuclear receptor superfamily, explained that using these analogs can enable other therapies to do their job. Currently, about 13% of all FDA-approved drugs work by targeting nuclear receptors like the one for vitamin D.

Background

The clinical trial was based on earlier laboratory discoveries at the Salk Institute which showed the vitamin D receptor helps regulate fibroblasts in the liver and pancreas. Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells that can contribute to the protective structures surrounding certain tumors.