New light is being shed on cancer spread, by Cancer Research UK scientists, which could help in the development of new treatments for patients, according to a study published in Nature Cell Biology.
The ability to spread is one of the most deadly properties of cancer cells and the tendency to move from the original tumour site and colonise other parts of the body causes the greatest number of deaths from cancer. Scientists are looking at different types of cancer cell movement in order to help develop drugs that could prevent the disease from spreading. A computer model based on skin cancer cells was used to predict how a cancer cell might move under different conditions. It was found that cancer cells use different types of movement, depending on the type of environment they find themselves in. For example, on a flat surface, cells will usually ‘crawl’ along, whereas in webbed environments they are more likely to become rounder helping them ‘squeeze’ through the gaps. The results of the study open up the possibility of using these behaviours as a target for treatments to stop cancer cells from moving around the body.
