Recently discovered "cancerous energy cells" could be the cause of cancer spread

Cancer cells are those that have lost the ability to regulate their own growth. They do not die over time, but rather multiply without control and can even spread to other tissues. In a new article, published in Frontiers in Oncology, researchers claim to have discovered a particular type of cancer cell more dangerous than others, which could be behind the spread and growth of cancer.

They called them "energetic cancer cells" and represent 0.2% of the total population of cancer cells. The team views them as a separate subcategory because of their energy profile: they produce much more energy in their mitochondria, their proliferation rate is higher and they are more likely to create a tumor. For these reasons, the team points to them as leading cells that can trigger and spread tumors.

"If we ask where these cells come from, the evidence indicates that they are emerging from senescent (dying) cells," co-authored Professor Federica Sotgia, of the University of Salford, in a statement. communicated. "They displayed the distinctive signs of senescence but are no longer, they came out of senescence."

In the energy cancer cell, a particular biomarker of senescence called p21-WAF was about 17-fold higher than in other cancer cells. These cancer cells have not only screwed up the natural cycle of cell death, but have also found a way to grow it. The team describes the action of energy-producing cancer cells as a break in prison.

"In other words, this original cell breaks with the line of sight and goes wild, multiplying malignant cells and creating a tumor," said Principal Professor Michael Lisanti, also at the University of Salford. "It sounds like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, and that gives us a new window on cancer and how we could stop it."

The team believes that this discovery could lead to different cancer treatments that target these cells directly and, in so doing, stop the formation of metastases – the spread of cancer from the site of origin. This is the cause of death for many people with cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that one in six deaths is due to cancer, with an estimated total of 9.6 million in 2018.