The finding suggests that vitamin C may be a valuable asset in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, particularly in cases of chemotherapy resistance, and could be considered as a future clinical option to improve patient response to the disease.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stands out as one of the most aggressive pancreatic cancers worldwide, with a distressingly low 5-year survival rate of only 8% of diagnosed patients. Current treatment options are based on standard chemotherapy sessions, which have been shown to improve the overall survival of patients by approximately 5 months. Nevertheless, given the chemoresistant nature of this type of cancer, there is an urgent need for more effective therapies and new therapeutic approaches.

In this context, the Department of Translational Oncology of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz (through its Health Research Institute), led by Professor Jesús García-Foncillas, and several research groups of the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, coordinated by UCAM Vice-Rector of Research, Professor Estrella Núñez Delgado, conducted a research study. The study found that vitamin C, an essential molecule for life, can improve the efficacy of chemotherapy in reducing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

The focus of the study was on the exploration of the therapeutic potential of vitamin C, a nutrient whose deficiency has been linked to multiple diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis and depression. The emphasis was on understanding how this vitamin may affect cancer metabolism, a molecular fingerprint present in most cancers, including pancreatic cancer. For the first time, pharmacological doses of vitamin C have been found to inhibit the growth of pancreatic tumour cells and increase their sensitivity to standard chemotherapy. The trial was performed in a preclinical model where both tumour cells and pancreatic tumour samples were grafted into an animal model for chemotherapeutic treatment with gemcitabine and vitamin C. 

This research has shown that the combined action of vitamin C with standard chemotherapy can significantly reduce tumour growth. Whereas conventional chemotherapy treatment was able to delay tumour growth by 50-60%, the combined use of vitamin C showed an inhibition of tumour growth of up to 85%. Vitamin C seemed to induce the destruction of cancer cells by hitting gene targets related to the molecular pathway of citrate production, a molecule involved in pancreatic cancer metastasis. In this way, the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy treatment is enhanced. This promising finding suggests that vitamin C may be a valuable asset in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, particularly in cases of chemotherapy resistance, and could be considered as a future clinical option to improve patient response to this devastating disease. While encouraging, the clinical translation of these findings still requires further research and the support of pharmaceutical and oncology associations for phase III studies. Ultimately, the goal is to find new approaches to the treatment of this devastating disease to provide improved patient survival and hope for their families.

The study, led by Dr Óscar Aguilera from the Fundación Jiménez Díaz and its Health Research Institute had Aiora Cenigaonandia-Campillo and Ana García Bautista as main authors. It was possible thanks to the support of the UCAM President, María Dolores García Mascarell, the different UCAM research groups involved and Celestino Olalla, CEO of the NGO Otro Mundo Es Posible, which supports research into children's cancer. 

The Health Research Institute of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz 

The Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (Health Research Institute) of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz involves the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and is based at the University Hospitals Rey Juan Carlos (Móstoles), Infanta Elena (Valdemoro) and General de Villalba. It collaborates with other institutions such as the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT, Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research). The aim of the institute is to preserve its prestige as a centre of biomedical research excellence within the Spanish National Health System, by promoting research development and considering science and technology as basic elements for the creation of wealth and social wellbeing. 

The Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital 

The Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, founded more than 80 years ago by Dr Carlos Jiménez Díaz, has had an agreement with the public health system since 1953, whereby it provides a public health service to Spanish society. In line with the commitments of the group to which it belongs, Quirónsalud, its professionals provide care, teaching and research. Therefore, the hospital has entered into agreements with the UAM, among other institutions, and has its own Nursing School. The Health Research Institute was created in 2009 under an agreement with the UAM and accredited in 2010 and again in 2015 and 2020 by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) for a period of five years.