SYDNEY, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have found that detached cancer cells forced through the tiniest blood vessels can become more likely to form new tumors far from their origin.
Cancer cells squeezed by the tiniest veins transform into a different type of cell capable of forming new tumors, a potential trigger for metastasis, the fatal spread of cancer to other body parts, according to a statement released Friday by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Scientists built a biomedical device simulating blood flow through the narrowest veins. According to the blood flow simulation experiment, when human melanoma cells were forced through channels narrower than 10 micrometers, about a fifth the width of a hair, they began to behave more like stem cells, gaining traits that help them survive, spread, and form new tumors.
The finding supports a theory long held by medical researchers that the mechanical pressure of narrow blood vessels might make cancer cells more aggressive.
While the recent results were observed in bioengineered devices in the lab and in mice, they offer a new perspective that could inform further research and future strategies to prevent cancer from spreading, according to the research published in Nature Communications.
The findings raise new ideas about potential treatment options aimed at preventing cancer spreading from tumors, by targeting the mechanical forces that lead to metastasis, said Professor Kris Kilian with UNSW School of Materials Science and Engineering and School of Chemistry, the study's co-author.
"We're already seeing compelling evidence when we repeat these experiments with breast cancer, and I'm looking forward to testing a range of cancer cell types in the lab," Kilian said. ■