Scientists found the GPS that helps melanoma to spread metastases

A team of researchers has discovered the protein that is critical to guiding melanoma cancer cells while spreading throughout the body. Malignant cells become dependent on this protein to migrate, so the discovery opens doors to new strategies to prevent metastasis.

It is knowledge of scientists that protein eIF2A It takes action when a cell is under stress, helping the ribosomes to start protein synthesis.

But, according to a study published on Friday in the magazine Science Advancesa eIF2A has a completely different role In melanoma: Helps cancer cells to control the movement.

“Malignant cells that make metastases need to make way through tissues to invade near or distant organs, ”he says Fátima Gebauerresearcher at the Genomic Regulation Center (CRG), in Barcelona, and corresponding author of the study, in a statement published in.

“Viewing EIF2A could be a new strategy To prevent melanoma from release and sow tumors in other locations, ”adds the researcher.

Despite representing only a fraction of cases of Cancer da Peland, O melanoma Kills almost 60,000 people all over the world each year.

A survival rate for five years for localized melanoma is about 99%, being significantly lower for metastatic melanomawith about 35% for distant spread. Understanding how malignant cells do metastases is crucial to improving results health care.

Working with a pair of human skin cell lines combined that differ only in its methodatic potential, the team of researchers got Reduce the effects of EIF2A.

In cancer cells, the three -dimensional tumor spheres stopped growing and migration through a risk on the culture plate has slowed down. However, Protein production was little affectedoverthrowing the idea that Eif2A begins protein synthesis.

To look for an alternative role, the researchers removed the Eif2A from the cell and cataloged that protein partners were linked to her.

Many revealed themselves Cenossoma componentsa molecular structure that organizes microtubules and guides cells during movement. When Eif2A was absent, Centrosoma often pointed to the wrong direction while the cells tried to move forward.

Additional experiences revealed that EIF2A works to preserve parts of the cenarsoma so that thebridge the cell in the right direction during movement.

A protein tail is critical toAra the power of cell migration. Cutting the tail affected the cell’s moving capacity and could be a friendly target for medicines.

“The tail behaves as a scaffolding cementkeeping crucial parts of the Melanoma cellular compass in place so that malignant cells can sail out of the primary tumor, ”he says Jennifer JungfleiscH, first author of the study.

The authors of the study note that the dependence of EIF2A only emerges after the malignant transformation, suggesting a therapeutic window that could save healthy fabrics. However, more work needs to be done to see how the disorder of protein behavior works in animal fabrics and models.

“In this field, many potential therapeutic targets prove to be redundant or essential for normal cells, but the discovery of a protein that silently becomes indispensable Only when cells become metastatic could it be a rare capture, ”says Gebauer.

“Any potential vulnerability counts,” concludes the researcher.