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Pancreatic Cancer Blog – Commentary on Articles and Abstracts
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At the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, in Nanjing, China, a recent study has found that using aspirin in combination with gemcitabine, a standard medication for pancreatic cancer, can significantly enhance its effectiveness. The study aimed to explore the impact of aspirin on gemcitabine’s efficacy in pancreatic cancer and its underlying mechanism. The researchers treated human pancreatic cell lines with aspirin and gemcitabine and examined their effects.

The results showed that aspirin increased gemcitabine’s ability to reduce the growth, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells while promoting apoptosis (cell death). These positive effects were found to be connected to blocking a specific signaling pathway (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and reversing a cellular transformation process (epithelial-mesenchymal transition or EMT) that are both related to the advancement and spread of cancer.

Based on these findings, the study suggests that combining aspirin with gemcitabine could be a promising therapeutic approach for patients. This combination treatment may enhance the overall effectiveness of gemcitabine while potentially reducing the risk of cancer spread and progression.