After a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the outlook is—frankly—bleak. Even as many cancers today are treatable, pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest. It is the fourth‑leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and one in four patients does not survive a year.

Disease spread

One of the biggest challenges is how quickly the disease spreads. Often, pancreatic cancer is not diagnosed until it has already advanced, leaving even the most aggressive treatments able only to delay the inevitable.

Because of this, researchers have focused on tracing the disease back to its earliest beginnings, hoping to find a way to halt pancreatic cancer before it causes irreversible harm. Now, an international team believes it has identified a key culprit.

Genetic contribution and PKD1

In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Oslo identified a gene—PKD1. PKD1 causes healthy pancreatic cells to morph into duct‑like cells. This shape shift appears to be a critical early step that can lead to pancreatic cancer.

“As soon as pancreatic cancer develops, it begins to spread, and PKD1 is key,” said Peter Storz, one of the study’s lead authors.

In a news release, Storz added, “Given this finding, we are busy developing a PKD1 inhibitor that we can test further.”

Storz says the inhibitor’s purpose is to neutralize PKD1 and stop pancreatic cancer in its tracks.

Using pancreatic cells from mouse models, the team tested PKD1’s effects by switching it on and off, like flipping a light switch. When PKD1 was active, pancreatic cells rapidly transformed into more dangerous, duct‑like cells. When PKD1 was shut off, far fewer cells underwent this shape‑shifting process.

The team’s success in developing this model is significant. As Storz explained:

“This model tells us that PKD1 is essential for the initial transformation into duct‑like cells, which can then become cancerous. If we can stop that transformation—or perhaps reverse it—we may be able to block or treat cancer development and spread.”

The teams are now developing potential PKD1 inhibitors for further testing, offering hope that the notoriously dire prognosis for pancreatic cancer may improve.

“As early as it is, understanding a key driver in this aggressive cancer is a major step in the right direction,” Storz said.