2-Methoxyestradiol in der Behandlung humaner Pankreaskarzinome

Pancreatic carcinoma is a rare tumor disease with a poor prognosis. Currently, there is no curative treatment option other than surgical resection. However, this is only possible for small tumors in selected patients, creating a need for additional treatment options, particularly in the area of new chemotherapeutics. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-Me) is an estrogen derivative that occurs in small amounts in blood and urine, and cytostatic and cytotoxic effects have already been described for it in various other tumor entities. In addition to inducing apoptosis by stabilizing the tumor suppressor gene p53, 2-Me also leads to p53-independent apoptosis induction and the induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, 2-Me is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. This study investigates the tumor-suppressive effect of 2-Me on human pancreatic carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo using an animal model.