How cancer makes healthy cells work for itself
Keystone-SDA
Cancer cells manipulate neighbouring cells for their own purposes. A research team at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich has discovered that they can reprogram neighbouring cells to help the tumour grow.
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“The cancer cells actually utilise a mechanism that is advantageous for injuries for their own purposes. This allows them to grow into a malignant tumour,” explained study leader Sabine Werner in a press release issued by ETH Zurich on Friday.
Skin cancer cells pass on their “energy power plants” – the mitochondria – to healthy cells. These then begin to produce more energy and growth substances that allow the tumour to grow faster. The results were published in the scientific journal Nature Cancer.
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It was already known that cells can exchange mitochondria via such connections. However, this mechanism is normally used for healing. For example, it has been shown that after a stroke, healthy nerve cells pass on their mitochondria to damaged cells in order to ensure their survival.
Possible therapies
In collaboration with other research groups at ETH Zurich, the researchers found evidence that this mitochondrial transfer also plays a role in other types of cancer, such as breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The cancer cells utilise the MIRO2 protein to transfer the mitochondria, the scientists reported.
According to the researchers, the new findings offer starting points for possible therapies. If this protein could be blocked, mitochondrial transfer would probably no longer work.
“MIRO2 blockade worked in the test tube and in the mouse model. Whether it also works in human tissue is still unresearched,” said Werner. If this is successful, it could lead to a new treatment in the longer term, she said. However, it is likely to be years before this happens.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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