MesotheliomaHelp reported on a variety of recent studies where researchers have studied the reason for metastasis in cancer.
Many of the conclusions focused on the ways of cancer.
Now in a new study, researchers report a pair of molecules may be the reason for cancers develop without control.
For aggressive cancers like mesothelioma that escape treatment, this discovery could lead to a new treatment that ends the growth of cancer.Researchers from Queen Mary University of Barts Cancer Institute in London England, led by Dr Stéphanie Kermorgant, say they are focusing their research on understanding how cancer cells can continue to prosper after that they detach from the primary tumor - when they are most vulnerable.
They knew as integrins, or proteins on the surface of cells, use "outside-in" and "inside-out" signaling for anchoring cancer cells in place.
However, using lung and cancer cell cultures breast from zebrafish and mice, they discovered that once the cancer cells began their process of metastasis and floated integrins started using 'inside-in "signaling or signaling within the cell.
"Metastasis is currently incurable and remains one of the key goals of cancer research," said Dr. Kermorgant.
"Our research advances the understanding of how two key molecules communicate and work together to help cancer cells to survive for metastasis. "
They found that beta-1 and c-Met protein mate and migrate to the cancer cell in a floating box that is usually reserved for signaling cell death.
On the contrary, in the case of cancer cells floating "inside-in" signaling proteins actually guide the rest of the cells to resist death.Pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by past exposure to asbestos is a cancer that is very aggressive and spreads quickly to other sites.
Survival is generally one year after diagnosis.
Research shows that metastasis is the cause of almost 90 per cent of cancer deaths, making it critical that researchers fully understand how to stop metastasis to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma.
The researchers report that QMUL current research focuses integrins for trying to prevent it from docking fail, or keeping the cells attached in place and do not migrate.
However, they intend to prevent the integrin to enter first the cells, leading "to the design of better treatments against metastases and more effective treatment combinations that could prevent and slow the growth of tumor and spread.
""We hope that our support of this exciting research will one day lead to better treatments that can prevent the spread of cancer," said Dr. Susie Gray, Research and Communications Officer at Rosetree Trust, one of the organizations that provided funds for research.2,500 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the US Mesothelioma takes decades to appear after exposure, but advance quickly.
