Cancer cell mechanics

Nanotechnology Now (August 6) -- Some particularly enterprising cancer cells can cause a cancer to spread to other organs, called metastasis, or evade treatment to resurface after a patient is thought to be in remission. The Illinois team, lead by MechSE professor Nigh Wang, along with colleagues in China, found that these so-called tumor-repopulating cells may lurk quietly in stiffer cellular environments, but thrive in a softer space. "The importance of knowing these mechanisms is that we now have targets that we didn't have before, specific targets for new types of drugs that will interfere with this renewal pathway. It could give us a new avenue for treatment and preventing relapse," Wang said. Also: Drug Discovery & Development (August 6), ScienceBlog (August 6), Medical Xpress (August 7), Bioscience Technology (August 7),  News-Medical.net (August 8), Bioscience Technology (August 7).