A Spanish study has shown that PRP, a mixture of two proenzymes, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen, suppresses the TGF-β pathway and the tumour microenvironment in pancreatic cancer.
The study was co-led by Belén Toledo Cutillas, at the laboratory of Professor Macarena Perán, University of Jaén, Granada, Spain.
The experiments were conducted with a well-known small molecule inhibitor of the same pathway, comparing it against the effects of Propanc Biopharma’s PRP, with results showing an even greater suppression by the novel cancer therapy.
TGF-β is a growth factor molecule involved in cell proliferation, migration and survival, and death that influences tumour growth in advanced forms of cancer.
Cutillas also analysed the same pathway comparing a pancreatic tumour cell line along with a chemoresistant pancreatic tumour cell line with the same line treated with PRP. It was observed the TGF-β pathway, which is overexpressed in the chemoresistant cell line, decreased drastically when treated with PRP.
Cutillas concluded that the results appear to confirm that PRP can suppress not only the tumour microenvironment, but also chemoresistant tumour cells, which also play a key role in how a malignant tumour grows and spreads.
Ongoing studies
Further experiments will be conducted by developing a series of immunofluorescence and western blot studies that complement these results with other biomarkers.
Dr Julian Kenyon, Propanc’s Chief Scientific Officer said: “I am convinced that PRP has the potential to act as an effective chemosensitising agent against resistant solid tumours to standard treatment regimens, which often lead to a poor prognosis for cancer sufferers. We continue to generate convincing scientific evidence supporting PRP as a novel cancer therapy for the treatment of solid tumours, but without the side effects normally associated with standard treatment approaches.”
PRP is a mixture of two proenzymes, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen from bovine pancreas, administered by intravenous injection. A synergistic ratio of 1:6 inhibits growth of most tumour cells, including kidney, ovarian, breast, brain, prostate, colorectal, lung, liver, uterine, and skin cancers.
