Spreading Cancer Cells Must Change Their Environment to Keep Growing
Cancer cells need to adapt to their new environments when they spread to different parts of the body, according to a study by Cancer Research UK scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, published in Cell Reports. This adaptability is critical for the continued growth of tumors.
“If we can find a way to block the ability of a cancer cell to adapt to a new environment then this could slow down the growth of cancer to other parts of the body,” said Dr. Ilaria Malanchi, lead researcher on the study.
The research revealed that the rate at which a surrounding environment changes influences how quickly cancer cells grow. For cancer cells to establish themselves in a new location, they require assistance from the surrounding tissue. Once they find an environment that supports their needs, tumor growth begins.
The team discovered in mouse models that cancer cells capable of spreading efficiently produce a protein called THSB2. This protein allows the cells to modify their surrounding environment by activating fibroblasts—structural cells that normally help build and repair tissue but can also support tumor growth. The production of THSB2 essentially transforms the local environment into favorable conditions for the formation of new tumors.
Dr. Malanchi explained, “The more THSB2 protein the cell produces, the faster the new tissue environment will change to give the best conditions for cancer growth. This is an exciting first step and what we need now is to find drugs that could stop cancer cells producing this protein and see if this reduces their ability to spread to new parts of the body.”
Metastasis (the spread of cancer to other parts of the body) remains one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment. According to estimates by the American Cancer Society, metastasis is responsible for 90% of all cancer deaths. Understanding this process is critical for developing therapies that could prevent the spread of cancer and improve patient survival rates.
The findings from this study open doors for future therapeutic research targeting metastasis. By inhibiting the production of THSB2, scientists hope to disrupt the ability of cancer cells to colonize new environments.
Professor Nic Jones, Cancer Research UK’s chief scientist, emphasized its significance, saying, “One of the biggest challenges in successfully treating cancer is stopping it from spreading to other parts of the body. It’s a complicated process and research like this brings us a small step closer to understanding how we might stop it from happening and so save more lives.”
Further studies are essential to explore viable drugs that can block THSB2 production. If successful, this approach could dramatically slow down cancer progression, improving treatment outcomes for patients worldwide.
