New discovery of metastatic mechanism of cancer cells

According to research published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Research, scientists from the Duke Cancer Institute (USA) have found that cancer cells circulating in the blood always carry new proteins.

Analysis of these proteins can increase the effectiveness of cancer diagnosis and lead to effective therapies for the disease.

Cancer cell (Photo: Sciencephoto)

Based on current technologies to detect malignant cells circulating in the blood, the team analyzed these cells in a new way, indicating how they could escape the original tumor and Move to other locations in the body.

The team said metastatic cancer components include proteins that we often observe when early stem cells begin to specialize and move throughout the body to develop organs like heart, bone and skin.

This finding could enhance accuracy in blood tests to detect metastatic cancer cells, helping doctors get more useful information in determining the patient's disease in response. how to evolve.

The lead researcher, Associate Professor Andrew J. Armstrong said: ' Based on our findings, useful information in blood tests can help us identify targets at the molecular level for materials. effective method to treat patients with cancer . '

The team isolated cancer cells from blood samples from 57 patients, including 41 men with advanced prostate cancer and 16 women with metastatic breast cancer.

In cancer cells of more than 80% of prostate cancer patients and 75% of breast cancer patients, the researchers found a group of proteins that often appear during development during the head when stem cells start taking on separate roles.

When stem cells begin to form tissues and organs in the body, they change in two processes called epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transformation (MET).

Cancer cells have similar capabilities, varying from a wall of epithelial cells like organs, from which they grow into a tissue or cell like connective tissue.

This ETM process can be the basis for resistance and help cancer cells have metastasis.