Introduction: Abstract:
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer. Treatment is difficult because it grows slowly, is hard to find, and is resistant to many drugs. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type. This type affects approximately 90% of patients, and the average survival time for patients is between 8 and 12 months. Medical biotechnology has opened up new avenues for treating this disease in recent years. These methods include gene therapy, targeted therapies, nanotechnology, and immunotherapy. New technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, nanovaccines, and combination therapies have made treatment more precise and effective. For example, in preclinical models, CRISPR-Cas9 has been shown to reduce tumor growth by over 50%. When we combine targeted therapies with immunotherapy and chronotherapy, the effectiveness of the treatment is significantly increased. Despite challenges such as high costs and the need for specialized equipment, scientific advancements show that keeping patients alive is no longer just a wish; it is now a real goal. This article discusses various biotechnology-based methods for treating pancreatic cancer.
Introduction:
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest and most difficult diseases to combat. PDAC is the most common type, seen in 90% of patients. Pancreatic cancer is called the silent killer because it grows without symptoms and is resistant to treatment. It is difficult to detect and does not respond well to standard therapies. Only about 10% of patients survive five years after diagnosis, and most patients with advanced disease live less than a year. For this reason, conventional treatments are not effective enough, and we need smarter and more precise treatments. Biotechnology has brought about significant changes in treatments and offers hope to patients by providing new therapeutic methods.
Methods: Pancreatic Cancer: The Silent Killer Pancreatic cancer is the 12th most common type of cancer and the 6th most common cause of cancer-related death. This disease usually worsens silently and is often detected in advanced stages. Common symptoms include jaundice, weight loss, and persistent fatigue. Multiple factors contribute to the development of this disease, but the most important ones are changes in the KRAS or TP53 genes, smoking, and type 2 diabetes. The tumor is located in a thick fibrotic stroma, which makes treatment difficult because drugs and immune cells cannot reach it. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are common treatments, but they all have significant side effects. That's why we need targeted treatments.
Results: Medical biotechnology has provided new methods for treating diseases.
Gene therapy: This method attempts to correct or silence genes that are not functioning properly using viral or non-viral vectors. For example, blocking the mutated KRAS and TP53 genes stops the pathways that lead to tumor growth. Targeted therapies: These drugs only attack specific proteins or receptors on cancer cells, resulting in fewer side effects. In clinical trials, EGFR, PARP, MEK, and PI3K pathway inhibitors have shown promise. These drugs are more effective when used with immunotherapy.
Nanotechnology: By creating nanoparticles, the drug reaches the tumor site directly, increasing the effectiveness of the dose. Nanoparticles can also carry more than one drug simultaneously or act as anti-cancer nanovaccines to boost the immune system.
Immunotherapy: This method uses tools such as checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, or therapeutic vaccines to help the immune system destroy cancer cells. The combination of immunotherapy, nanotechnology, and targeted therapies has created a new path for the future. Using chronotherapy to schedule medication intake also makes the treatment more effective. Biotechnology has many advantages, but there are also problems. These problems include high cost, limited access, the need for a specialized team, and ethical issues.People from all over the world are trying to solve these problems.
Conclusion: Medical biotechnology has revolutionized the treatment of pancreatic cancer, transforming it from a hopeless condition to a hopeful one and increasing patient survival by providing diverse treatment options. New ideas like combination therapies and chronotherapy, which consider the body's biological timing, have created more effective treatment methods. With the advancement of science, the wall of pancreatic cancer resistance is crumbling, signaling the beginning of a new era in treatment.
Keywords: Pancreatic Cancer, Medical Biotechnology, Gene Therapy, Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy