Barcelona, Spain .- Scientists from the Spanish Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) discovered a new communication mechanism that promotes physical cell metastasis in cancers, which opens the possibility to develop a treatment to halt the spread of tumors.
The discovery was presented today at a press conference by scientist and principal investigator, Xavier Trepat, and the director of IBEC, Josep Samitier.
As explained Trepat, to Unlike many mechanisms described so far and based on biochemical processes, the new finding is based on a physical process of forces between cells.
The researcher noted that communication between cells is key to the coordinated operation of body organs, therefore, the loss of this communication is one of the characteristic features of various diseases such as cancer or chronic inflammatory diseases.
Traditionally, the loss of communication between cells had been understood as altered 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 his research, published in the journal “Nature Cell Biology”, scientists identified the molecules involved in cell physical communication, some of which saw are altered in various types cancers, which, according Trepat, opens new possibilities for the control of metastasis.
“The discovery was made possible by the combination of nanotechnology, mathematics and molecular biology, and is a revolution because it is the first time you try to understand how it works metastasis from the point of view of physics and biochemistry at once, “said Trepat.
To identify the proteins responsible for communication, group Scientists have developed new experimental strategies combining molecular biology, nanotechnology and mathematical models.
Through the physics of forces, scientists found two molecules, the ‘E-cadherin’ and ‘P-cadherin’ that are present in more aggressive breast cancer and found that help cancer to move and grab new tissue cells.
“These molecules act as sensors and give the cells the ability to control the speed and distance of movement “, a key element for metastasis, Trepat said.
The group of scientists used epithallial breast cells for research, although Trepat said” most likely continue epithelial cancers the same physical functioning. “
In addition, the scientist explained that based on physical laws discovery” can have many applications beyond cancer, such as Alzheimer’s and many chronic inflammatory diseases. “
He concluded that “physics is equally important that the chemistry in these processes.”
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