Skin cancer cells are fast travelers
2005/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
The main problem of skin cancer is metastasis, as skin cancer is faster than the metastasis of any other type of cancer. Some MIT researchers from the United States have found the reason.
The key is the gene that provides mobility to cells. In short, metastasis is due to the movement of the cancer cells from one place to another of the body; if they invade the surrounding tissue, jump into the blood or lymph vessels, travel through the body and manage to colonize another tissue, the cancer develops in this last tissue. Therefore, the easier the journey is, the more probability there is of metastasis. And scientists have found that cells that have activated this Sgen move easily from one place to another.
The sugen gene is active in a group of embryonic cells, so that at the time of its development they can reach where they need specialized cells. In most types of cancer, this gene remains inactive for a long time, but in the case of skin cancer it is activated immediately. According to scientists, this is because the melanocyte cells in the skin are similar to those of the embryos with the activated Sgen. Hence, metastasis occurs very quickly in skin cancer.
