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UK scientists have revealed a number of genes that could play a role in how cancer cells spread through the body. Led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the study showed that removing one of these genes from cells in mice significantly reduced the spread of transplanted melanoma cells. Lead scientist, Dr David Adams, said the discovery could point to new targets for drugs. Tumours that spread to other parts of the body are more difficult to treat and are the leading cause of death from cancer. But the underlying mechanisms that control how cancer cells spread aren’t well understood. The Sanger team looked at the spread of melanoma skin cancer cells to the lungs of mice that were engineered to be missing single genes. This identified 23 genes that were involved in regulating the spread of melanoma cells, 19 of which hadn’t previously been shown to have a role in this process. 

See original article at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/news-report/2017-01-11-gene-discovery-could-shed-light-on-how-cancer-cells-spread