Scientists discover new target in potential pancreatic cancer treatment

University of Florida Health scientists helped find a promising new way to attack and kill pancreatic cancer cells by identifying an overlooked weak spot on a protein that supercharges the lethal cancer’s growth.

After finding the ideal location using artificial intelligence and UF’s HiPerGator supercomputer, researchers screened nearly 140,000 compounds to find the best match to exploit this newfound vulnerability in the cancerous cells.

The top contender is a compound called striatal B, a byproduct of a family of organisms known as “bird’s nest fungi,” named for the shape of their fruiting bodies, which resemble nests.

Paired with a chemotherapy drug, striatal B turns off the protein’s messaging to cancer cells that drive them to multiply, according to the study published in the October issue of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.