00:00Researchers at Mount Sinai have uncovered a surprising finding about pancreatic cancer.
00:05Just 5% of cancer cells may be enough to protect an entire tumor from immune attack.
00:10The study, published in Nature, focused on proteins called PAI1 and PAI2.
00:16These proteins help preserve fibrin, a material normally involved in blood clotting and wound repair.
00:22Around tumors, fibrin can create protected areas that attract immune-suppressing macrophages.
00:28That environment can keep cancer-fighting T-cells from reaching tumor cells effectively.
00:33In laboratory models, removing either PAI1 or PAI2 cut tumor burden by more than half.
00:39The altered tumors also showed more than twice as many CD8 T-cells.
00:44Researchers then combined the changes with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
00:48Median survival nearly doubled, increasing from 24 to 47 days in one mouse experiment.
00:54An experimental PAI1-blocking drug also improved survival when paired with immunotherapy.
01:00However, these treatment results were conducted in animals.
01:04Researchers say further studies are needed to determine whether this approach can safely help people with pancreatic cancer.
