Globally respected cancer researcher Professor Mariano Barbacid has appealed for €30 million in funding to launch human clinical trials for a groundbreaking pancreatic cancer treatment that has shown complete disease elimination in laboratory mice. The appeal follows years of intensive research that has delivered one of the most promising advances yet against one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
Barbacid, a pioneer in cancer genetics and former director of Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led the research team that developed a novel low-toxicity drug combination targeting KRAS-mutated pancreatic tumors—a mutation long considered one of the hardest to treat in oncology. Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates globally, largely because it is often detected late and resists conventional therapies.
In preclinical trials, the treatment successfully eradicated tumors in mice without severe side effects, a milestone that has generated optimism within the scientific community. However, researchers caution that results in animals do not automatically translate to humans, making clinical trials the crucial next step.
Barbacid has stressed that the lack of funding not science is now the biggest obstacle. Without the €30 million required to conduct Phase I and II clinical trials, the treatment cannot be tested for safety and effectiveness in human patients. He has called on governments, private investors, and global health institutions to act swiftly, warning that delays could cost lives.
Experts say the development represents a potential turning point in pancreatic cancer research, especially given the historical difficulty of targeting KRAS-driven tumors. If successful in humans, the therapy could significantly extend survival and redefine treatment protocols worldwide.
As pancreatic cancer cases continue to rise globally, Barbacid’s plea underscores a broader challenge in medical research: translating laboratory breakthroughs into real-world treatments often depends as much on funding and political will as on scientific discovery.
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