How do you stop cancer cells from moving around the body? Researchers have just identified a molecule that would block the vascularization of metastases.
-1603728427.jpg "A new defense against metastases?")
- A technique would limit the movement of cancer cells in the body.
- After surgical removal of the tumour, it would be possible to block their movement by suppressing angiopoietin-2, a messenger that protects the endothelial cells of the lymphatic vessels.
- For the moment, the results are promising in mice, but experiments must also be carried out in humans to see the scope of this advance.
Can tumor cells be prevented from migrating? This is what researchers from the University of Heidelberg (Germany) have tackled. They discovered in mice that a specific antibody can cause the death of certain metastases and improve the survival of the animal. The results of their study were published on October 26, 2020 in the journal CancerDiscovery.
The displacement of the tumor
Like healthy tissue, cancerous tissue is supplied by two different vascular systems. In addition to the oxygen and nutrients supplied by the blood vessels, the lymphatic vessels are responsible for transporting the cells of the immune system. Daughter tumors, also called metastases, can use these channels to migrate through the body.
To better observe the movement of cancer cells, the researchers have developed a system to study the phenomenon in mice. Thanks to this technique, the team was able to understand that cancer cells often migrate using lymphatic vessels, in particular using lymph nodes as “relay points” to form metastases.
“The key was direct transplantation of tumor tissue from one mouse to another without prior cell culturesays Nicolas Gengenbacher, first author of the study. In this model, the natural structure of the tissue was preserved and the cancerous tumors were able to form functional lymphatic vessels which were connected to the lymphatic system – a prerequisite for the formation of lymphogenous metastases..”
Prevent future migration
Surgical removal in mice of the initial tumor made it possible to simulate what would happen in a real patient after an operation: the metastases would be the last points of fixation of the disease in the body.
In order to predict their future development, the team focused on the cells that line the wall of lymphatic vessels. They realized that a messenger molecule, called angiopoietin-2, allowed endothelial cells to survive despite the development of tumours. By blocking the production of angiopoietin-2, the tumor’s lymphatic vessels are no longer supplied with nutrients and eventually die.
“Surprisingly, we were able to effectively prevent tumor spread in mice, even though we blocked angiopoietin-2 shortly before the operation., explains Hellmut Augustin, head of the study. VSHowever, we were only able to show the therapeutic effect of angiopoietin-2 blockade in this treatment window in laboratory animals. Whether this approach also helps humans fight the spread of tumors needs to be clarified in further studies..”
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