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Destination Factor

Molecules involved in breast cancer metastasis to bone identified

04 May 2022

Destination Factor

When cancer cells leave their original tumour site and travel the body (metastasis), their destinations are generally not random. Indeed, the locations of new tumours depends on the original cancer type. Breast cancer cells, for example, tend to metastasise to the bone, brain, liver and lungs, with bone being the preferred site by far. In studying this bone-targeting mechanism of breast cancer, researchers have recently identified a critical molecule, called ZEB1. In mice, humans breast cancer cells with abundant ZEB1 invaded the animals’ bones, while those without did not. The image shows such ZEB1-producing human breast cancer cells (green) attacking mouse bone (red). While a lack of ZEB1 didn’t prevent metastasis per se (the cells mainly colonised the animals’ lungs instead), the discovery is an important step toward understanding how cancer cells seek out new locations and thus how to slow or stop these destructive developments.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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