Scientists have discovered a unique breast cancer cell that controls the ability to proliferate and colonize the lungs

According to a study published in Cell Report in September, scientists from the Tisch Cancer Institute have discovered a mechanism by which certain breast cancer cells regulate their own metastasis, spread from the original tumor site, and decide to invade distant organs, such as the lungs
.

For the first time, scientists have identified a cancer cell in a triple-negative tumor of the breast that is highly efficient at invading and colonizing distal organs, but grows slowly
during colonization.

Scientists have also found in animal models that these unique cells trigger a phenomenon that keeps them dormant in distant organs, such as lungs
.

Dr Jose Javier bravoo-cordero, Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology) at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, said: "Our findings highlight the importance of considering phenotypic changes, which can occur when treating cancer cells with therapeutic strategies such as chemotherapy that target proliferating cells
.

To conduct this study, the researchers used high-resolution in vivo imaging to visualize extravasation, the process
by which tumor cells enter the tissue of interest from blood vessels.

Partners contributing to this work include the University of Stony Brook, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus, and the University of California
, Berkeley.