It's what's on the outside that matters!

Ashley Hullinger

Bio 1610-009

Dr. Michaela Gazdik-Stofer

February 27, 2017

Cancer. It’s an ugly word that brings about ugly memories and emotions. Everyone has either lost someone to cancer, or loved someone who has lost someone to cancer. It is an ever-growing problem in our world. There is ongoing research on the topic; however, there are so many variations of the disease and they effect people of every age so differently, that it is difficult to pinpoint an exact cause, and a cure. 

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and The Wistar Institute have discovered it is what is outside a cell that matters. Cancer cells are an irregularity in DNA. When that mutation occurs, you get a mass of mutated cells, or in other words a tumor. When cancerous cells inside a tumor divide at a ridiculously fast rate, additional mutations in the DNA occur. Eventually so many mutations have occurred that the growth of the cells in the tumor becomes unregulated. This is what turns a benign tumor, into a malignant one. The researchers have discovered an important factor; however, that might be responsible for the spread of these cancerous cells. 

For the cancerous cells to spread, they must break away from the tumor and make their way through the extracellular matrix (ECM). They are pulled into the ECM due to physical forces between the cells and the ECM. To fit through the spaces of the ECM, a cell must change its shape from a round cell, into one that is more torpedo like.  They realized this change in shape and wondered more about the cell itself and why, or how, it changes shape to be able to spread. They learned that it is dependent on the stiffness of the ECM. They stated, “The cells in a tumor are sticky, without the collagen fibers of the ECM pulling on those cells, you can’t break that cell-cell adhesion. But, if the ECM is too stiff, the pores in the matrix become too narrow and the cells can’t escape.” So, it is in controlling the stiffness of the ECM, that can potentially control the spread of cancer. 

To prove this, they ran multiple experiments. Initially they ran them through computer simulations. Once those proved accurate, they used melanoma spheroids in a collagen mixture, as a model to see what happens when a cancerous cell leaves a tumor when it is still inside the body. Those observations again, matched their findings and the results from the computer simulations. Of course, this raises other questions. How will increasing the stiffness of the ECM affect other processes that happen there? What happens if the cancerous cells have already begun to spread? How do you change the stiffness of the ECM? 

The main point in this study, is the fact that the outside environment of a cancerous cell, plays a crucial role on its spread. It decides if the tumor will spread at all. This is a huge step forward. If we can control the spread of cancerous cells, we can then plan treatment and the removal of malignant tumors before they spread. Of course, this will require regular cancer screenings to find tumors before they spread. Nevertheless, it is a great discovery that might move us forward in the right direction. 

I found this fascinating and wanted to write about this because cancer is something that affects everyone. I have know many wonderful people who have been taken by this horrible disease. It is a devastating thing to watch, and I'm sure an even more devastating thing to endure. I know some people come out of it stronger for what they have survived, and I know there are lessons to be learned there. However, I think the devastation this disease leaves behind, is too great. 

 

Sources:
https://news.upenn.edu/news/pennwistar-study-finds-sweet-spot-where-tissue-stiffness-drives-cancers-spread

https://www.oncolink.org/healthcare-professionals/oncolink-university/general-oncology-courses/science-of-cancer-101/how-does-cancer-begin