Blocking one immune gene shrank pancreatic tumors in early lab research

Adelaide University researchers have found a new foothold against one of the toughest cancers. The gene that makes the ASC protein — part of the body's innate immune alarm system — was driving pancreatic tumor growth; deleting the gene or blocking the protein with a tiny antibody fragment significantly reduced tumor formation in pre-clinical models. Published in Nature Communications, it is early lab work rather than a treatment, but it opens a fresh target where few exist.