Hallan cellular mechanism that promotes cancer metastasis – Trade

SPAIN . Scientists at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) discovered a new mechanism of cell communication that fosters physical metastases cancer , which opens the possibility to develop a treatment to block the spread of tumors.

The discovery was presented today at a press conference by the scientist and lead researcher Xavier Trepat, and the director of IBEC, Josep Samitier.

As explained Trepat, unlike many mechanisms described so far, and based on biochemical processes, the new finding is based on a physical process of forces between .

The researcher noted that communication between cells is key to the coordinated body organs operation, therefore, the loss of this communication is one of the characteristic features of different diseases such as cancer or chronic inflammatory diseases.

Communication vital

Traditionally, the loss of communication between cells was understood as an alteration of purely biochemical signals, such as hormones.

However The research team, led by Xavier Trepat, challenged the traditional view and worked with the idea that the physical communication between cells is as important as the chemical.

In your research, published in the journal “Nature Cell Biology”, scientists identified the molecules involved in cell physical communication, some of which saw are altered in several types of cancer , which according Trepat, opens new possibilities for controlling the metastases .

To identify proteins responsible for communication, the group of scientists developed new experimental strategies combining molecular biology, nanotechnology and mathematical models.

Through the physics of forces, scientists found two molecules, ‘E-cadherin’ and ‘P-cadherin’, which are present in the breast more aggressive cancer, and found that help cancer cells to move and grab new tissues.

“These molecules act as sensors and give them to the cells the ability to control the speed and distance of movement”, a key element for metastasis, explained trepat.

The group of scientists used epithallial breast cells for your research, but Trepat stated that “most epithelial cancers surely follow the same physical functioning.”

In addition, the scientist explained that based on physical laws discovery “can have many applications beyond the cancer , such as Alzheimer’s and many chronic inflammatory diseases.”

He concluded that “physics is equally important that the chemistry in these processes.”

Source: EFE