Key Mechanism Behind Cancer Spread is Explained
30 October 2008 - Scientists have discovered the two key processes that allow cancer cells to change the way they move in order to spread through the body, reports leading scientific journal 'Cell'.
The progression of cancer cells from one part of the body to another ("metastasis") is one of the biggest problems in curing cancer, therefore this research brings new hope of future therapies to fight cancer. The discovery was made by Dr Victoria Sanz-Moreno in Professor Chris Marshall’s Oncogene team.
Professor Marshall commented: “The spreading of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, called metastasis, is one of the biggest causes of death from cancer. By explaining a key part of that process, our research brings new hope for future therapies to fight cancer.
"The research has found the constant competition between two proteins called 'Rac' and 'Rho' is responsible for allowing the cancer cells to change shape and spread through the body. We have shown that cells from melanoma (an aggressive type of skin cancer) are able to rapidly alternate between two different forms of movement where cells have either a round shape or a more stretchy "elongated" shape.
Dr Sanz-Moreno said: "Until now the conversion between different types of movement of individual cancer cells had been observed but the key players had not been identified. We are excited to discover that the amount and the activity of these proteins in the tumour cell regulates its shape and the mechanism for it to move and invade surrounding tissue. We hope these insights can be used to help develop future therapies."
