UBC scientists have demonstrated for the first time a causal link between high insulin levels and pancreatic cancer.
UBC scientists have demonstrated for the first time a causal link between high insulin levels and pancreatic cancer.
In a study published today in Cell Metabolism, researchers lowered insulin levels in mice predisposed to developing pancreatic cancer and found that these lower levels protected the mice against developing the disease.
The findings hold promise for early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer in humans.
“Pancreatic cancer can be tricky to detect and is too often diagnosed at a late stage, making it one of the deadliest cancers,” said James Johnson, senior co-author of the study, a professor and member of the Diabetes Research Group in the Life Sciences Centre at UBC. “The five-year-survival rate is less than five per cent, and incidences of the disease are increasing alongside obesity.”
Read more at University of British Columbia
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