Researchers at the University of Ohio have designed a tool capable of slowing down or even preventing the migration of cancer cells in the body.
Technology has an important role to play in the treatment of certain diseases, including cancer. American researchers show that electromagnetic energies make it possible to block the formation of metastases. They publish the results of their work in the journal Communications Biology.
Cells able to move around the body
Some cancers can become metastatic, which means cells have separated from the original tumor and then circulated through the body. When they are numerous in the same place, they multiply and form a new tumor.
“This ability of cells to multiply throughout the body is what makes cancer so devastating,” said lead author Jonathan Song. Cancer cells are able to migrate far into the body. “It seems that by treating them with certain electromagnetic fields, we modify their ability to spread,” he adds.
An effective method for triple negative breast cancer
The team of scientists has developed a tool to follow the movement of cancer cells in breast cancer: Helmholtz coils. It also allowed them to send electromagnetic energy to the cells. The experiment was successful: they were no longer able to form long, thin extensions at the ends, which usually allows them to multiply. The method was particularly effective for cancer cells associated with triple-negative breast cancer, which is among the most difficult to cure.
This study was carried out on cells in the laboratory, but the tests should soon be continued on animals before being one day carried out with humans.
.
