Stress leads to dangerous diversity in cancer cells - new study!

Stress leads to dangerous diversity in cancer cells - new study!

Research results from the University of Zurich show how stress influences the evolution of cancer cells in real time. Using a newly developed microscopy method, scientists can now observe live how cancer cells change under various stress factors and develop new genetic variants. These findings were recently published in the journal Nature.

Researchers have discovered that cancer cells not only show short-term reactions under stress, but also undergo long-term genetic changes. Stress factors, such as chemical agents that disrupt DNA duplication and radiation that causes DNA damage, cause cells to form a wide variety of daughter cells. This increased genetic diversity can significantly increase resistance to therapies, as vol.at reports.

The method of real-time observation

The new microscopy method combines sophisticated image segmentation with CRISPR-based genome editing. Researchers have tagged two proteins with fluorescent tags: one to track DNA duplication and one to mark DNA damage caused by stress factors. This technique makes it possible to track cellular heterogeneity across multiple cell generations, something that was previously difficult to achieve. Merula Stout, a doctoral student at UZH and co-first author of the study, emphasizes that these observations provide crucial insights into the adaptation mechanisms of cancer cells.

The study results show that cancer cells no longer behave synchronously when stressed. This leads to increased differences in DNA duplication and protein production. Stress has long-term effects on the diversity within cell populations, which can both promote the development of diseases such as cancer and promote adaptation, as bionity.com explains.

Consequences and outlook for future therapies

The emergence of polyploidy, a condition in which cells have multiple copies of their genome, is of particular interest for research. Polyploidy increases genetic complexity and allows for faster adaptations. This can simultaneously pose a challenge to the effectiveness of therapies, as the processes that lead to increased diversity also promote drug resistance mechanisms. Andreas Panagopoulos, co-first author of the study, emphasizes that understanding these mechanisms could make it possible in the future to better adapt therapies and possibly specifically influence the development of polyploidy.

With the aim of further expanding and automating the method, the research team points out that this requires high throughput and large amounts of data. This modern approach could bring about fundamental changes in the way we understand and combat the development of cancer cells. The combination of innovative technology and comprehensive research results gives hope for new approaches in cancer therapy, as news.uzh.ch informs.