A recent study has uncovered important insights into how bowel cancer spreads, revealing the role of “cellular plasticity” in aggressive forms of the disease.
Scientists have long observed that some cancer cells, such as those in skin cancer, can change shape, making them harder to treat. This ability, known as cellular plasticity, is a key factor in the spread of certain aggressive bowel cancers, according to new research from the Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre and the University of Edinburgh.
Published in *Nature*, the study highlights that when bowel cells lose their original shape and adopt the characteristics of other cells—specifically, squamous cells that form the skin and muscles—it becomes easier for the cancer to spread. This transformation plays a significant role in metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads to other parts of the body.
Bowel cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, has been increasingly affecting younger people globally, with a particularly sharp rise in England, according to *The Lancet Oncology*.
The study found that when colonic cells morph into squamous-like cells, they become much tougher, enabling the cancer to travel further. Lead researcher Dr. Patrizia Cammareri explained that skin cells, which protect the body from harsh conditions, can withstand more extreme environments. This resilience may help bowel cancer cells become more robust, aiding their spread.
Additionally, the research discovered that the loss of a gene called Atrx, previously linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, appears to contribute to this shapeshifting behavior in tumors. This change enables cancer cells to spread from the bowel to other organs, including the liver, lymph nodes, and diaphragm.
These findings could pave the way for new treatment approaches aimed at preventing or reversing the cellular changes that drive bowel cancer’s spread.
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