New blood test improves early detection of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common and deadly form of pancreatic cancer. It is often diagnosed in advanced stages, leaving patients with limited treatment options. Current diagnostic tools, such as the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) test, are useful for prognosis but lack the sensitivity needed for early detection. PAC-MANN addresses this gap by identifying cancer-related activity in the blood, making earlier diagnosis possible. 

“The problem with pancreatic cancer is that we often catch it too late,” said Jared Fischer, a scientist with the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR). “Our goal with PAC-MANN is to give clinicians a tool that can detect the disease much earlier, when more treatment options are available and there is a better chance of survival.” 

PAC-MANN, short for “protease activity-based assay using a magnetic nanosensor” detects changes in protease activity, a key indicator of pancreatic cancer, from a small blood sample. This non-invasive test requires only 8 microliters of blood and delivers results in just 45 minutes at a cost of less than a penny per sample. 

The research team tested PAC-MANN using blood samples from 350 patients at OHSU’s Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care and CEDAR. The test successfully distinguished pancreatic cancer patients from healthy individuals and those with non-cancerous pancreatic conditions 98 percent of the time. When used alongside the CA 19-9 test, PAC-MANN detected early-stage pancreatic cancer with 85 percent accuracy. 

Jose L. Montoya Mira, the lead author and a research engineer at OHSU’s CEDAR, emphasized the accessibility of PAC-MANN. “Our test could be used for people at high risk of pancreatic cancer, which is not targeted by current tests,” he said. “It allows for a more robust and less invasive screening, unlike an endoscopic ultrasound and other liquid biopsy tests that require large volumes of blood, thus allowing our test to be performed more frequently for earlier detection.” 

Beyond early detection, PAC-MANN also has the potential to monitor treatment effectiveness. Researchers observed a decrease in protease activity in patients after surgery, suggesting that the test could help track response to therapy. 

“This test isn’t just about detection - it could also help us measure how well treatments are working and guide therapeutic options,” Fischer said. “If we can track a patient’s response to therapy in real time, we can make better treatment decisions and improve outcomes.” 

The researchers plan to conduct further trials, including an investigator-initiated study in collaboration with the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and CEDAR. If validated through clinical trials, PAC-MANN could become a valuable tool for catching pancreatic cancer earlier, ultimately increasing survival rates. 

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Oregon Health & Science University