AP
Scientists believe they may have
worked out why cancer spreads, which could be vital in developing a cure
and saving millions of lives.
London - Scientists believe they may have
worked out why cancer spreads, which could be vital in developing a cure
and saving millions of lives.
The major breakthrough could lead to cancer becoming a non-fatal disease, they said on Monday.
The study has identified a mechanism known as
the “chase-and-run” effect, where diseased cells follow healthy ones
around the body, allowing metastasis, which is the spread of cancer to
different organs.
The discovery by researchers at University
College London may lead to a revolutionary therapy that blocks the
action and keeps tumours in one place.
Cancer claims more than 150 000 lives each year in the UK.
But study spokesperson Professor Roberto Mayor
said: “Most deaths are not due to the formation of the primary tumour.
Cancer kills because it spreads.
“Instead, people die from secondary tumours
originating from the first malignant cells, which are able to travel and
colonise vital organs of the body such as the lungs or the brain.”
Professor Mayor said no one had worked out the
process by which the diseased cells colonise the body, adding: “Now we
believe we have uncovered it.
“If that is the case, it will be relatively easy to develop drugs that interfere with this interaction.”
The study, published in the journal Nature Cell
Biology, used two types of embryonic cells to simulate the roles of
cancerous and healthy cells. The researchers used frog and zebrafish
embryos for the study. But they are confident the process in which
cancer cells attach to healthy ones in order to migrate around the body
works in a similar way.
The scientists found that when “neural crest
cells,” which are invasive, were put next to “placode cells”, which turn
into cranial nerves, they changed dramatically and began chasing them.
At the same time the placode cells attempted to escape.
This behaviour also depended on the production
of small chemical molecules by the placode cells that attract neural
crest cells.
The researchers said this means healthy cells try to escape from tumours, but are followed because they produce an attractant.
Professor Mayor said: “We use the analogy of the donkey and the carrot to explain this behaviour.
“The donkey follows the carrot, but the carrot moves away when approached by the donkey.
“Similarly, the neural crest cells follow the placode cells, but placode cells move away when touched by neural crest cells.
“The findings suggest an alternative way in
which cancer treatments might work in the future if therapies can be
targeted at the process of interaction between malignant and healthy
cells to stop cancer cells from spreading and causing secondary tumours.
“We work with embryonic cells and now it is up
to cancer scientists to follow up our findings and see if they are
replicated, which is what we expect.
“Then it would be a case of developing the therapies.” - Daily Mail
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