Taming Mutant Met

Mutant and malfunctioning, deep within these cancerous cells (cell centres here coloured blue) is a molecule called Met, which normally controls the way cells move and divide. Scientists have discovered that the cancer risk is much greater if mutated Met moves inside the cell from the surface. Fortunately they’ve found a treatment to prevent this, visible in the cell on the right (as green/yellow particles). The untreated cell (on the left) still has mutant Met within. The resulting damage is evidenced by fewer structural fibres (red strands over the blue), which makes the cell much more likely to move around the body, and grow into a tumour. While this experiment was conducted on mouse cells, similar treatments could potentially be developed for humans.

Written by Mick Warwicker

Mick Warwicker

Writer

A freelance communications consultant and writer, Mick specialises in science and education. A science graduate and award-winning print and broadcast journalist, he was Head of Communications at Newcastle University from 2000–2011.

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• Stephanie Kermorgant
• Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London
• Courtesy of Stephanie Kermorgant
• Published in Nature Cell Biology