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    Home > Active Ingredient News > Drugs Articles > Prevent cancer metastasis, "Nature" research finds the key to make cancer cells "sleepy"

    Prevent cancer metastasis, "Nature" research finds the key to make cancer cells "sleepy"

    • Last Update: 2021-06-17
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Avoiding cancer metastasis is an important challenge in curing cancer
    .


    Even after seemingly successful treatment, after a few years, the remaining tumor cells in the patient's body may metastasize and cause recurrence


    Avoiding cancer metastasis is an important challenge in curing cancer




    Recently, researchers from the University of Basel have gained important insights into the mechanism behind tumor dormancy
    .


    They published a paper in the journal Nature, revealing how "sleeping" cancer cells stay dormant, and what makes them "wake up" and eventually form deadly metastases


    The researchers used mouse models and human tissue samples to determine how tumor cells migrated from the original breast tumor to the liver, and how they stay dormant and wake up
    .


    They found that the two cell types play a key "switch" role in the transformation of cancer cells


    "Hypnotic" Cells and "Wake Up" Cells

    Among them, the one responsible for "hypnosis" tumor cells is "natural killer cell" (NK, natural killer cell)
    .


    These immune cells can kill abnormal or infected cells and slow their proliferation


    Another type of cell is actually responsible for "waking up" tumor cells.


    They are the hepatic stellate cells


    "There are many reasons why hepatic stellate cells are activated, such as chronic inflammation or persistent infection in the body
    .


    " The researchers explained that they will investigate the exact cause in further studies


    ▲The mechanism that affects tumor cell dormancy (Source: Reference [2])

    Potential methods to prevent tumor metastasis

    Based on the above findings, the paper proposes several promising methods to prevent cancer cell metastasis
    .

    The first is to try to prolong the "dormant" state of tumor cells, such as immunotherapy based on interleukin-15
    .


    Studies have shown that the number of NK cells in the liver determines whether the tumor is dormant or metastasized, and interleukin-15 can increase the number of NK cells in the tissue


    The second is to relieve the inhibitory effect of hepatic stellate cells on NK cells
    .


    All these therapies require clinical trials to further verify the efficacy and safety
    .

    Source: 123RF

    Professor Mohamed Bentires-Alj, the corresponding author of this paper, said: “Our research results increase hope for new immunotherapies.
    The focus of this type of immunotherapy is NK cells, which can provide patients with a preventive strategy to prevent the proliferation of dormant tumor cells.
    Metastases
    .
    In the next step, we will verify whether stimulating NK cells can help patients prevent metastasis
    .
    "

    "These cells (NK cells) are a natural barrier to prevent liver metastasis
    .
    " Dr.
    Anna Correia, the first author of the paper, explained.
    "If they can also be used to prevent metastasis in other parts of the body, it is possible to prevent cancer permanently.
    Recurrence
    .
    "

    Let us wait and see for more research results to develop effective new treatment strategies as soon as possible to prevent cancer recurrence, improve prognosis, and benefit the majority of patients!

        



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