Scientists have created a 3D-printed model to mimic the specific conditions that spur the spread of cancer cells. The model, published in the journal Life Science Alliance , allows researchers to study a process previously hidden from view and may open the door to new screening and treatment options for cancers at risk of spreading. Thanks to advances in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, many cancer patients have good prognoses and are living longer.
However, some tumors still spread to other organs throughout the body-;a process known as metastasis -;which makes treatment incredibly challenging. In fact, metastatic cancers-;and not the original tumor-;are responsible for most cancer deaths. Studying the moment where and when a relatively passive tumor cell acquires the ability to move and metastasize could be a game changer for cancer treatment.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to directly witness this transition, and as a result, there are no therapies that target this critical but understudied step in the progression of cancer." Carlos Carmona-Fontaine, associate professor of biology at New York University and study's senior author Most metastatic cells arise from crevasses deep within tumor tissues where oxygen and nutrients are scarce. This resource scarcity is essential in triggering metastases.
However, because this scarcity happens in cells buried within hard-to-reach tumor regions, it is challenging to observe directly-;in patients, animal cancer models,.