Dangerous metastases repelled Aggressive cancer cells with new active substance converted into fat cells

New breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer?

The treatment of cancer is often extremely difficult. Physicians have now developed a new treatment approach that makes it possible to convert cancer cells into fat cells. Such a transformation of the cells can prevent the formation of dangerous metastases.

The scientists of the University of Basel found in their current study that a novel treatment allows the transformation of cancer cells into fat cells. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Cancer Cell".

Will it be possible in the future to convert cancer cells into harmless fat cells that are harmless to the human body? (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

Cancer should be treated before it forms metastases

In recent years, physicians have repeatedly made significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Important for a successful treatment is that the cancer is recognized as possible before it can spread in the body. If a tumor has already started to form metastases, successful treatment will still be difficult.

Treatment successful in breast cancer tumors of mice

Scientists now understand better and better how the complex process of metastasis formation works. Signals from the outside cause the tumor cells to undergo a so-called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The epithelial cells reach a state of high plasticity that allows them to transform into another cell type. At this stage, the cell resembles a stem cell. This process is essential for various physiological mechanisms, including embryonic development and wound healing. Unfortunately, cancer cells can use the epithelial-mesenchymal transition to move from one part of the body to another. This allows cancer to spread to various organs and tissues. However, the ability to adapt in this phase allows scientists to fight cancer in a vulnerable state. In the current study, the experts looked at using the stem cell-like state of metastatic tumor cells to turn them into a less-malignant state. Thus, the development of a secondary carcinoma can be prevented. They tested this treatment on mice, which were previously implanted particularly aggressive human breast cancer tumors.

Aggressive cancer cells turned into harmless fat cells

The rodents received two doses already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one as anti-cancer (trametinib) and the second as antidiabetic (rosiglitazone). This treatment was carried out for a period of three weeks. The results were very promising. The treatment not only prevented the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body but also suppressing the growth of the primary tumor by preventing the proliferation of cancer cells in this tumor. Aggressive cancer cells that had detached themselves from the primary tumor were instead converted into fat cells, says study author Professor Gerhard Christofori from the University of Basel. While the cancer spread to the lungs and other organs in animals from the control group, the mice treated with the combination therapy did not develop metastases.

Transformed fat cells remained fat cells

Further cell experiments showed that breast cancer cells, which were converted into fat cells, also remained fat cells in the long run, explains Professor Christofori. Although the new treatment approach can not completely convert the primary tumor into fat, if it succeeds in reprogramming a critical amount of tumor cells, it could make the tumor more sensitive to conventional chemotherapy.

Further research is needed

The new treatment works so far only in mice. The potential effectiveness in humans has not been tested. The physicians also explained that not all cancer cells are transformed, but only those undergoing EMT during metastasis. This means that even if a transformation of cancer cells becomes an option for patients, it most likely needs to be used in conjunction with, not in place of, chemotherapy. Further research will now show how this technique can be used in existing chemotherapy and whether it is also used in other cancers. (As)