California: A professor of molecular and cell biology at Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, Reuben J. Shaw claimed, “Lung cancer, even when it is discovered early, is often able to metastasis almost immediately and take hold throughout the body.”
A gene responsible for stopping the movement of cancer from the lungs to other parts of the body has been identified by scientists.
Scientists are now able to explain why some tumours are more prone to spreading than others by identifying the cause of this metastasis.
Cancer cells override cellular machinery that typically keeps cells rooted within their respective locations to become mobile.
In addition to different cancers being able to manipulate these anchors, it was also known that about a fifth of lung cancer cases are missing an anti-cancer gene called LKB1 (also known as STK11).
Cancers missing LKB1 are often aggressive, rapidly spreading through the body. However, no one knew how LKB1 and focal adhesions were connected.
Now, the Salk team has found the connection and a new target for therapy: a little-known gene called DIXDC1. The researchers discovered that DIXDC1 receives instructions from LKB1 to go to focal adhesions and change their size and number.
When DIXDC1 is “turned on”, half-a-dozen or so focal adhesions grow large and sticky, anchoring cells to their spot.
First author and PhD graduate student Jonathan Goodwin said, “The communication between LKB1 and DIXDC1 is responsible for a ‘stay-put’ signal in cells. DIXDC1, which no one knew much about, turns out to be inhibited in cancer and metastasis.”
Researchers have found two ways to turn off this “stay-put” signal. One is by inhibiting DIXDC1 directly. The other way is by deleting LKB1, which then never sends the signal to DIXDC1 to move to the focal adhesions to anchor the cell.
Bureau Report
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