Scientists map dormant cancer cells' hideouts, opening new targets for treatment
Researchers have mapped the micro-environment of breast tumors, identifying specific 'neighborhoods' where dormant cancer cells hide. These quiescent cells are protected by immune and connective cells, suggesting that future treatments must target the tumor environment to prevent cancer recurrence.
Why it matters
Understanding how cancer cells evade treatment is critical for developing therapies that can prevent cancer spread and resurgence.
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Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College London and UCL Genetics Institute have created a detailed map of cells within breast tumors and identified distinct neighborhoods of proliferating and dormant cells. The study, published in Genome Medicine , reveals that protective immune and connective cells surround the hibernating cancer cells, potentially shielding them from treatments. It suggests future therapies may need to target not only different cancer cell states but also the local environments that help them survive, to both halt tumor growth and prevent cancer from coming back later.
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