Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered a mechanism that keeps metastasis alive in aggressive cancers. The results obtained show a way to prevent the formation of secondary tumors. Study published magazine EMBO Magazine.
Metastasis is a distant secondary focus of the pathological process, which occurs when the origin of the disease occurs, which causes its movement from the primary focus of the disease to the tissues of the body. Movement may be through blood or lymphatic vessels or within body cavities. The authors examined breast cancer that often spreads throughout the body and metastasizes to the lungs and brain.
It turns out that these breast cancer cells produce unusually large amounts of the NNMT enzyme. Overproduction of NNMT causes cancer cells to produce more collagen than normal. This ability makes it even easier for cancer cells to take root in the cells of the new organ. When the researchers removed NNMT from aggressive breast cancer cells and injected the cells into mice, the animals hardly developed metastases. The cells also produced almost no collagen.
“Next, we want to test whether current NNMT blockers can also stop metastasis in mouse models and whether they have any side effects,” the authors write.