The cause of metastatic cancer cells has been found

This is a new breakthrough in the mission to bring a healthy and long life to people in the future.

According to Futurism, researchers at John Hopkins University have identified the key mechanism behind one of the deadly characteristics of cancers. Based on their knowledge of metastasis, their work shows new perspectives in preventing the spread of cancer in the body.

Understand the nature of cancer cells

Treatment for cancer can be complicated: for example, cancer cells tend to spread very quickly, this phenomenon is also called metastasis - a phenomenon that is sometimes difficult to detect in time. . Therefore, cancer is still a global problem, 1 out of 6 people die due to cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. 90% of cancer deaths occur in the stage of cancer has spread. But what if the metastasis of the cancer is prevented in a timely manner? That's a study by a team of researchers from John Hopkins University, published in Nature Communications.

Breast cancer cells in women.(photo: Futurism).

Researchers think it is important to understand which factors will "activate" the metastasis process. "We have learned that the overall size of a tumor is not the cause of the cancer cells to spread, but the cells ," said Hasini Jayatilaka, the lead researcher, at the press conference. how that cell was squeezed together at the time of the tumor rupture . " Similar phenomena are also found in bacterial cells.

"Basically, we find that cell density is very important in activating metastasis. It's like waiting for a table in a restaurant to be too cramped and receiving notice that you have to go elsewhere to eat it ".

Improve the patient's condition

Before this study, the cause of metastatic cells was suspected due to tumor growth . They studied tumor cells in a 3D environment, simulated human tissue and found that the "compression " of cancer cells - not necessarily tumor growth - was weak. factors activate metastasis. They also discovered that proteins - Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Interleukin 8 (IL-8) - are responsible for the spread of cancer cells.

The study's lead author, Denis Wirtz, explains: "In this way, we can develop a special treatment that directly impacts metastasis without considering the increase in size. Tumor: This treatment can inhibit the process of metastasis and improve the patient's condition. "

Professor Muhammad Zaman from Boston University thinks this is the reason why this study is interesting. Speaking to the Baltimore Sun, he said: "This research gives us a clear goal to be able to design specific medicines. This is a great thing, especially with the industry. medicine production and physiotherapy ".

However, the research team also noted that just one drug or one treatment is not enough. We will need a combination of drugs, or a combination of therapies, plus the body's immune system, to win cancer once and for all.