Chinese medical experts were the first to discover the mechanism and characteristics of single-cell metastasis in breast cancer

Zhongxin Wanghai, January 6 (Reporter Chen Jing) With the rapid development of medical technology, breast cancer is gradually becoming a preventable and treatable "chronic disease"
.
Lymph node axillary metastasis seriously restricts the efficacy and survival of
breast cancer patients.

The latest results of Chinese medical experts show that the metastatic subsets of breast cancer are mainly distributed at the boundary of the primary lesion - that is, the junction of
tumor tissue and normal tissue.
This finding shows that cells in the boundary region of the primary tumor have stronger metastasis ability, and they have a more important position in the process of tumor treatment, which provides new ideas
for subsequent basic research and clinical practice of breast cancer.

It is reported that the top academic journal Advanced Science has just published relevant research results
online.
This means that in the future, breast cancer patients at risk of lymph node metastasis can be clinically identified and specific drugs and therapeutic targets can be developed, thereby reducing the incidence of
early breast cancer metastasis.
This study on the mechanism and characteristics of single-cell metastasis of breast cancer was led by Professor Yu Keda, Deputy Director of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, and jointly carried out
by Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University.

Professor Shao Zhimin, director of the Department of Breast Surgery at Fudan University Cancer Hospital, said that clinically, about 30% of patients have metastasized at the first diagnosis, and about 25% of breast cancer patients have axillary lymph node metastasis
.
According to statistics, the prognosis of patients deteriorates
with an increase in the number of lymph nodes positive for breast cancer.

"Tumor metastasis, or spread of tumor cells throughout the body, is the leading cause
of death in breast cancer patients.
" Professor Shao Zhimin emphasized that clinical researchers urgently need to focus on this problem, find the metastasis mechanism and cell characteristics of breast cancer cells "running" to axillary lymph nodes and other organs, and then find drugs or therapeutic targets that can "block" this channel to further improve patient efficacy
.

The research team spent two years using relevant new technologies to accurately discover which cells in breast cancer metastasized to axillary lymph nodes and the characteristics of
these metastatic cells.
"Previous studies have focused more on the tumor microenvironment
of lymph node metastasis.
" Professor Yu Keda said: "Our research focuses on revealing the characteristics of tumor metastasis cells and the mechanism
of axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer cells.
Professor Yu Keda further explained: "The research team found that metastatic cells from breast cancer need to constantly adjust their own cellular energy metabolism patterns in the process of 'running' to axillary lymph nodes, so as to support themselves to break through various obstacles on the metastasis pathway and finally complete distant metastasis
.
”

Professor Yu Keda pointed out: "If this metabolic transformation mechanism can be modulated or even reversed by new drugs or the discovery of new therapeutic targets, we may be able to prevent breast cancer cells from metastasizing from the primary lesion to axillary lymph nodes
in the future.
" It is revealed that based on the research results, Professor Yu Keda's team continues to tackle key problems in developing new drugs and discovering potentially effective therapeutic targets
.
(End)