A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer—the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the United States—can be devastating. Due in part to aggressive cell replication and tumor growth, pancreatic cancer progresses quickly and has a low five-year survival rate (less than 5%).
GRP78, a protein that protects cells from dying, is more abundant in cancer cells and tissue than in normal organs and is thought toplay a role in helping pancreatic cancer cells survive and thrive. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found triptolide, an extract of the Chinese herb thunder god vine (Tripterygium wilfordii), suppresses GRP78, eventually leading to pancreatic cancer cell death.
