Understanding Adipose Tissue Cancer Migration
As research continues to advance, scientists are uncovering critical links between adipose tissue cancer migration and the progression of diseases such as ovarian, breast, and blood cancers. This study highlights how adipose tissue cancer migration is facilitated by the unique mechanical and biochemical properties of fat tissues. The evidence strongly supports the idea that adipose tissue cancer migration plays a vital role in helping cancer cells invade and survive in fatty tissue environments.
Collaboration Driving Groundbreaking Discovery
The study was conducted by researchers from Prof Julien Gautrot’s Biointerface Laboratory at Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with Barts Cancer Institute and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Funded by the European Research Council, the team examined how cancer cells move through patient-derived adipose tissues and specially developed biomaterials.
Developing Adipo-Mimetic Biomaterials
To replicate the properties of fat tissue, the team created adipo-mimetic biomaterials that allowed precise control over physical and chemical parameters. These materials mimicked the microstructure of fat cells, enabling scientists to manipulate droplet size and mechanical stiffness—factors proven to affect cancer progression.
Cancer Cell Migration Without Cell Damage
The study found that fat tissues allow cancer cells to migrate efficiently without causing nuclear damage or cell death. This is largely due to the soft, tightly packed nature of adipose tissue, which differs significantly from other tissue types like fibrous connective tissue.
New Frontiers in Cancer Research
This is the first time such a detailed bioengineering approach has been used to model fat tissues so accurately. Prof Gautrot emphasised that understanding migration in adipose tissue is key to developing better in vitro cancer models and potentially targeting cancer spread more effectively.
Adipose Tissue: A Unique Tumour Environment
The findings underscore how fat tissue provides a supportive environment for tumour growth and metastasis. Differences in tissue properties between patients with varying grades of cancer suggest adipose tissue may play a more active role in disease progression than previously thought.
