Source: Northwestern University
Posted: July 30, 2006
Summary:
A Northwestern University research group has discovered that aggressive melanoma cells secrete Nodal, a protein that is critical to proper embryo formation. The researchers injected aggressive melanoma cells into developing zebrafish embryosand were able to induce ectopic (abnormal) embryonic skull and backbone (axes) formation.
They also found that blocking Nodal signaling reduced melanoma cell invasiveness, as well as cancer cell colony formation and tumor-forming ability. Strikingly, nodal inhibition promoted the reversion of these cells toward a normal skin cell type. Like embryonic stem cells, malignant tumor cells similarly receive and send molecular cues during development that promote tumor growth and metastasis, or cancer spread.
Commentary: Hopefully this finding will have medical applications not only for stem cell research and regenerative medicine in regenerating or repairing damaged limbs tissues and organs, but for cancer research and treatment as well.
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