Melanoma type of skin cancer causes at least 75 percent deaths among the
patients. The reason why melanoma is so dangerous is the ability of
melanoma cells to migrate to and thrive in the brain, lungs, and other
major organs. When melanoma cells from the original tumor spread to other
parts of the body and form a new tumor.Research has shown that to migrate through tissues tumor cells must
overcome physical constraints.One major obstacle to cell migration is the
cell nucleus, which occupies a large fraction of the cell volume and is
normally less malleable than the surrounding cytoplasm. The mechanism
whereby cells overcome these physical challenges is unclear.
patients. The reason why melanoma is so dangerous is the ability of
melanoma cells to migrate to and thrive in the brain, lungs, and other
major organs. When melanoma cells from the original tumor spread to other
parts of the body and form a new tumor.Research has shown that to migrate through tissues tumor cells must
overcome physical constraints.One major obstacle to cell migration is the
cell nucleus, which occupies a large fraction of the cell volume and is
normally less malleable than the surrounding cytoplasm. The mechanism
whereby cells overcome these physical challenges is unclear.
Researchers have identified a protein – LAP1 – that enables melanoma cells
to change the shape of the nucleus and thus allow cell migration.“The work
is very nice and clearly shows the important role of increased LAP1
expression in promoting cancer metastasis and cancer cell invasion,” Jan
Lammerding, professor at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering said.
