This article was originally published in MedBound Times. Read the original article.
By Vanshika Kalra
Madrid, Spain, January 30, 2026: In a promising development for pancreatic cancer treatment, scientists at Spain's National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have successfully eliminated pancreatic tumors in mice using a triple-combination therapy.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on January 25, 2026. This represents a significant advance in tackling pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the deadliest cancers. PDAC has one of the lowest survival rates, with over 10,300 new patients diagnosed annually in Spain alone, and a devastating five-year survival rate of less than 10%.
The team was led by Dr. Mariano Barbacid, head of the Experimental Oncology Group at CNIO. The study was based on the understanding that current drugs for pancreatic cancer, including recently approved KRAS inhibitors, often lose effectiveness within months due to the development of resistance. To address this, the research team developed a therapeutic approach that simultaneously targets three critical points in the KRAS signaling pathway, making it harder for tumors to escape treatment.
By blocking downstream (RAF1), upstream (EGFR), and orthogonal (STAT3) signaling pathways at the same time, the therapy prevented tumors from developing resistance. This strategy shut down multiple escape routes for tumors.
The therapy was tested in three different mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The treatment induced significant and lasting tumor regression, with no evidence of resistance for over 200 days post-treatment. The triple combination was well tolerated, with no significant toxicities reported. This marks a potential milestone in pancreatic cancer research.
“These results open a path to designing combination therapies that could improve survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,” the authors note in PNAS.
Despite these unprecedented findings, Dr. Barbacid emphasizes caution regarding immediate clinical applications.
"Although experimental results like those described here have never been obtained before, we are not yet in a position to carry out clinical trials with the triple therapy," he said in a statement.
The researchers acknowledge that optimizing the therapy for human use will require careful study. Still, the authors offer hope: "Despite current limitations, these results could open the door to new therapeutic options to improve the clinical outcome of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the not-too-distant future."
According to a statement by CNIO, the study received support from several prestigious organizations, including the CRIS Cancer Foundation, the European Research Council (ERC), the Spanish State Research Agency, Next Generation EU funds, the Biomedical Research Networking Center (CIBERONC), and the Carlos III Health Institute.
The CNIO is a leading public research institution under the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. It is recognized as one of Europe’s foremost cancer research centers and has been accredited as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence since 2011.
Dr. Mariano Barbacid is a world-renowned Spanish molecular biochemist and a pioneer in the field of molecular oncology. He is best known for his 1982 discovery of the first human oncogene, HRAS.
In recognition of his contributions to science, Dr. Barbacid was awarded the Echegaray Medal in November 2020, the highest scientific honor given by the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences.
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