Cancer cells are very sneaky. Not only that, they are able to “get used” to used for the treatment drugs and methods, so they can still (unfortunately very often) appear again after a seemingly full recovery of the patient. This mechanism is called “relapse” and in the study of this process, a group of researchers from the United States came to unexpected conclusions: cancer cells have the ability to devour their own kind, and thereby become stronger.
Cancer cells adapt very well to any treatments
Why do cancer cells kill their “brothers”?
According to the editors of the Journal of Cell Biology, scientists from the Medical school of Tulane University of Louisiana made their discovery during the study of LCC-cells (Latent Cancer Cells). This kind of tumor cells are sometimes called “sleeping”. That is, they do not participate in the formation of a tumor, almost do not share and do not manifest themselves in order that they “drew attention” of the immune system. Unfortunately, thanks to that LLC cells are also insensitive to chemotherapy.
This is interesting: What food causes cancer
The researchers decided to find out why dormant cells survive and how to take the energy for these processes. To this end, the experts took breast cancer cells and introduce them to the anticancer drug doxorubicin. The principle of its operation is quite simple: it destroys the cell’s DNA and inhibits the synthesis of nucleic acids. Because of this, the cell loses the ability to share, to carry out metabolic processes and eventually dies. Thus, the part of cells that the drug could not be destroyed, once again and become the LLC cells. And they, in turn, and “waiting in the wings”.
Not so long ago we wrote about another study, susannem with the development of cancer therapies. In order not to miss the news, subscribe to our channel in the Telegram. In the course of the new issledovanii scientists noticed that the resulting LCC-cells however, were completely inactive. They increased the number of lysosomes (they are responsible for metabolism and energy), and activated a number of genes for the development of phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is the absorption of one cell of another cell. It is very actively used the cells of our immune system, for example, anti-bacteria, and the same tumor entities. But that’s not all: LCC-cells after exposure to anticancer drug began to actively absorb the neighboring tumor cells, which doxirubicin did not have time to act. This process even managed to capture on video, available below.
The experts concluded that such behavior LLC gives the cells the necessary nutrients for quite a long invisible existence and return to an active phase in the future. When it came out of “hibernation” cells become more resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs. Scientists believe that if we can find a way to deprive LLC-cells of the recently opened properties, it will improve the survival rate of patients undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, the researchers hope that they can understand how it would be possible to destroy themselves and LLC cells to prevent further recurrences of cancer.