Cancer's Road Map to Metastasis Revealed

How cancer specifically and actually metastasizes has been a medical mystery. This article picked up by Reuters in London reveals that scientists have found that cancer spreads from a primary site by sending an envoy out through normal bone marrow cells to prepare a new site for growth. This breakthrough information will be highly useful in modern and alternative therapies to stop the envoys from being sent to prevent the spread of cancer.

Here is an important excerpt from the article:

"...The authors show that tumor cells can mobiles normal bone marrow cells, causing them to migrate to particular regions and change the local environment so as to attract and support a developing metastasis," Patricia Steeg, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, said in a commentary.

"Cells at the site of the metastasis multiply and produce a protein called fibronectin, which acts like a glue to attract and trap the bone marrow cells to create a landing pad or nest for the cancer cells.

"These nests provide attachment factors for the tumor cells to implant and nurture them. It causes them not only to bind but to proliferate. Once that all takes place we have a fully formed metastatic site or secondary tumor," said Lyden.

"This is the first time anyone has discovered what we call the pre-metastatic niche."

"Without the landing pad, the cancerous cell could not colonize the organ."

This is breaking news from the world of cancer research and we wanted to share it with you. Click our title to read the full article.