Tumor’s border cells told to leave
Cells on a tumor’s outer layer that touch healthy tissue receive a chemical signal that sends them wandering away, according to new research. The finding could eventually lead to new ways to stop metastasis, the process by which cancers spread.
Scientists traditionally study metastasis by observing tumors cultured in a lab dish. According to Ross Cagan, a developmental biologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, these cultured cells may not truly represent how tumors behave in the body.