IISc study shows how cancer cells adapt across tissues

This will shed fresh light on the pathology of ovarian cancer, a disease that is characterised by rapid metastasis and high morbidity

The researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have done a new study which shows how inherent variations in a cancer cell and its interactions with its surroundings mould its migration.

In a statement, IISc on Friday said that the spread of tumour from the primary cancer site to distant organs, called metastasis, has puzzled scientists for many years. They are only now beginning to pinpoint triggers and mechanisms that drive this process.

"A new study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) shows how inherent variations in a cancer cell and its interactions with its surroundings mould its migration. The findings, published in the Biophysical Journal, reveal that cancer cells seem to adapt their migratory pattern depending on the physical and biochemical characteristics of their surrounding, called the microenvironment," it said.