Researchers discover mechanism that allows cancer cells to spread

An international team of researchers has uncovered a new mechanism that enables cancer cells to move throughout the body, providing a potential new target to stop metastasis, which is responsible for 90 percent of cancer deaths.

In findings published in Nature, the team identifies that cancer cells move faster when they are surrounded by thicker fluids, a change that occurs when lymph drainage is compromised by a primary tumour.

Reference:

Bera, K., Kiepas, A., Godet, I. et al. Extracellular fluid viscosity enhances cell migration and cancer dissemination. Nature 611, 365–373 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05394-6