Metastasis News and Research

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Metastasis is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed by cells that have spread is called a “metastatic tumor” or a “metastasis.” The metastatic tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural form of metastasis is metastases

BioView, ScreenCell enter collaboration agreement for imaging of CTC

BioView Ltd. and ScreenCell, a privately-held company, today jointly announced the signing of a commercial collaboration agreement for Bioview's Automated Cell Imaging Systems for imaging of CTC's isolated with ScreenCell's Cyto Kit.

9 Jul 2012

Presence of SPDEF protein may predict prostate cancers that are unable to metastasize

Prostate cancer doesn't kill in the prostate - it's the disease's metastasis to other tissues that can be fatal. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that prostate cancer cells containing the protein SPDEF continue to grow at the same pace as their SPDEF- cousins, but that these SPDEF+ cells are unable to survive at possible sites of metastasis.

8 Jul 2012

New Gateway-funded phase II ADAPT study for metastatic colorectal cancer

The Gateway for Cancer Research announces an exciting new Gateway-funded phase II study using ADAPT therapy for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer based on a 2010 AACR presentation by Dr. Lin and his collaborators.

7 Jul 2012

New optical microscope identifies rare breast cancer cells

The ability to distinguish and isolate rare cells from among a large population of assorted cells has become increasingly important for the early detection of disease and for monitoring disease treatments.

7 Jul 2012

New method promotes selection and growth of dangerous cancer cells

The news a cancer patient most fears is that the disease has spread and become much more difficult to treat. A new method to isolate and grow the most dangerous cancer cells could enable new research into how cancer spreads and, ultimately, how to fight it.

3 Jul 2012

NOTCH1 signaling promotes T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia-initiating cell regeneration

Research suggests that patients with leukemia sometimes relapse because standard chemotherapy fails to kill the self-renewing leukemia initiating cells, often referred to as cancer stem cells. In such cancers, the cells lie dormant for a time, only to later begin cloning, resulting in a return and metastasis of the disease.

3 Jul 2012

Rexahn submits RX-5902 IND to FDA for treatment of advanced or metastatic solid tumors

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug application (IND) to the Food and Drug Administration for a first-in-human study of RX-5902 to treat advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

2 Jul 2012

New treatment target against metastatic pancreatic cancer

Detailed analysis of genes expressed in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) -- cells that break off from solid tumors and travel through the bloodstream -- has identified a potential treatment target in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

2 Jul 2012

International conference showcases breadth of research possible with zebrafish

It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.

23 Jun 2012

Even small-stage oral SCC metastases impact prognosis

The presence of even small tumor-cell deposits in the lymph nodes of patients with early oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma reflects a potential for the primary tumor to metastasize, report researchers in Head and Neck.

21 Jun 2012

Review describes new classes of drugs that target androgens in novel ways

Prostate cancer cells require androgens including testosterone to grow. A recent review in the British Journal of Urology International describes new classes of drugs that target androgens in novel ways, providing alternatives to the traditional methods that frequently carry high side effects.

21 Jun 2012

Bisphosphonate benefit for breast cancer yet to be proven

Older patients with breast cancer may benefit from adjuvant treatment with oral bisphosphonates, but further studies are needed before general application in the breast cancer population, say researchers.

19 Jun 2012

Ascepion, Debiopharm partner to develop and commercialize ASP-08126 for solid tumors

Debiopharm Group, a global biopharmaceutical development specialist that focuses on serious medical conditions and particularly oncology, and Ascepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of breakthrough small molecule drugs for the treatment of oncology and related diseases, have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement concerning the development and commercialization of ASP-08126 (called Debio 1144 by Debiopharm) a multikinase inhibitor currently in pre-clinical development.

18 Jun 2012

DFINE completes initial phase of STAR Tumor Ablation System trial

DFINE, Inc., the developer of minimally invasive radiofrequency (RF) targeted therapies for the treatment of vertebral pathologies, today announced an upcoming poster presentation at the World Congress of Interventional Oncology (WCIO), June 14-18 in Chicago.

15 Jun 2012

Variations in microRNA expression within breast tumors can lead to sampling bias

Certain short strands of RNA, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been linked to the progression and metastasis of breast cancer and may provide information about prognosis. However, studies of miRNA expression profiles often report conflicting findings. While the potential for using miRNAs in breast cancer diagnosis is promising, scientists report in a new study published online today in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics that differences in the amount and types of miRNA within breast tumors can be misleading.

15 Jun 2012

Unifying theory on causes of cancer metastases

A unifying theory on the causes of cancer metastases has been proposed by Alexander R.A. Anderson, Ph.D., chair of Integrated Mathematical Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, and Jacob Scott, M.D., a Moffitt Radiation Oncology Program resident that is studying for his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford Centre for Mathematical Biology.

15 Jun 2012

Study reveals molecular link between aging and cancer

It has long been known that cancer is a disease of aging, but a molecular link between the two has remained elusive.

15 Jun 2012

Study investigates how breast cancer cells migrate to bone

Breast cancer cells frequently move from their primary site and invade bone, decreasing a patient's chance of survival. This process of metastasis is complex, and factors both within the breast cancer cells and within the new bone environment play a role. In next week's Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week," Roger Gomis and colleagues at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Spain investigated how breast cancer cells migrate to bone.

14 Jun 2012

Powerful new tools can study glycans’ function

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have developed chemical compounds that can make key modifications to common sugar molecules ("glycans"), which are found on the surface of all cells in our body. The new study presents powerful new tools for studying these molecules' function, for example in cell signaling and immunity, and for investigating new treatments for chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancer metastasis, and related conditions.

11 Jun 2012

ADAM28 inhibits VWF-mediated cancer cell apoptosis and enhances lung metastases

ADAM28, a metalloproteinase belonging to the ADAM gene family, cleaves the von Willebrand factor (VWF) and inhibits VWF-mediated cancer cell apoptosis, thereby enhancing lung metastases, so inhibiting its expression gives a substantial reduction in lung metastases, according to a study published June 8 in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute.

11 Jun 2012