January 29, 2026
Memes, mice, and medical maybes
Drug trio found to block tumour resistance in pancreatic cancer
Mouse ‘miracle’ sparks hope, memes, and a reality check
TLDR: A three-drug combo erased pancreatic tumors in animal models and prevented resistance, says a Spanish team. Commenters cheered the science but emphasized it’s in mice and noted few such breakthroughs reach patients, while others highlighted data showing 200-day durability as a legit reason to stay cautiously hopeful.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest, and this new study from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre lit up the feed: a three-drug combo pushed pancreatic tumors to fully disappear in animal tests and stayed gone for over 200 days. The therapy targets three “go” signals cancer cells use to grow—RAF1, EGFR, and STAT3—in plain terms, it shuts down the pathways that tell tumors to keep multiplying. The research, published in PNAS, sounds like a blockbuster trailer: complete regression, no resistance, long-lasting effects.
But the comments turned this into a drama double feature. The top vibe? “IN MICE.” Users hammered that caveat, calling for headlines to add the label and reminding everyone “preclinical” means animal models, not humans. One reader dropped a sobering stat: only 3–5% of such cancer discoveries make it to FDA approval, fueling a chorus of cautious optimism. Others brought receipts, linking to the study’s supplement and highlighting the 200-day durability as genuinely impressive. Meanwhile, the meme train arrived: one commenter misread the “drug trio” as Pokémon’s “Dugtrio,” turning lab science into gaming jokes. The mood: fierce tug-of-war between hope and hype, with the community demanding clear context while still rooting for a real-world win.
Key Points
- •A triple-targeted combination therapy induced complete regression of pancreatic tumours in preclinical models.
- •The approach targets three nodes within KRAS signalling: RAF1 (downstream), EGFR family receptors (upstream), and STAT3 (orthogonal).
- •The study focuses on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), noted as the most common and lethal type of pancreatic cancer.
- •Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre conducted the work.
- •Findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).