Scientists at the Wistar Institute in the US revealed that cancer cells of the breast, which is not enough oxygen, sending signals that cause oncogenic changes in the surrounding epithelial tissues. This mechanism is critical for the progression of the tumor, allowing researchers to develop new methods of treatment of especially dangerous diseases. This was reported in an article published in the journal Developmental Cell.
During the experiments, biologists were cultured breast cancer cells in conditions of deficiency of oxygen to simulate hypoxia, which is observed in the microenvironment surrounding the tumor inside the body. Biologists have found that the signaling compounds are present in small extracellular vesicles, which transporterowych them to other cells of the recipient. As a result, recent changes mitochondrial activity, which is the cause of non-regulated morphogenesis of epithelial tissues in the vicinity of the tumor.
In addition, the cells of the recipient changes the expression of genes related to mobility, organization of cytoskeleton and intercellular contacts. Epithelial cells also demonstrated increased inflammatory responses and less likely to have died. In General, malignant cells with oncogenic signals affect cellular architecture of the breast. Healthy cells showed morphological changes, began to go to share and differed in viability. Finally, cancer cells have gained mobility, which allowed them to migrate from the primary tumor and forming metastases.
Scientists believe that targeting drugs to the formation of bubbles or mitochondrial reprogramming will help fight cancer progression.
