A study from Tulane University, published in the Journal of Cell Biology, examined polyploid cells in fruit flies and human lung cancer cells. Polyploid cells contain extra sets of chromosomes. The researchers observed that when cells gain extra chromosomes they produce an abundance of proteins, which activates a cellular stress response.
The team found that stressed polyploid cells were more mobile and more likely to engulf neighbouring cells. They identified a stress pathway that includes the enzyme JNK. Inhibiting this pathway reduced the cells' ability to migrate through tissues in both fruit flies and human lung cancer cells.
The authors say these findings may explain why polyploid cells are enriched in aggressive, therapy-resistant tumours and suggest that targeting stress-sensing pathways could limit tumour invasion.
Difficult words
- polyploid — cell with extra sets of chromosomes
- chromosome — long DNA structure carrying genetic informationchromosomes
- abundance — a large amount of something
- stress response — cell reaction to harmful or difficult conditions
- engulf — to surround and take in another cell
- pathway — series of actions or processes in cells
- enzyme — protein that helps chemical reactions happen
- inhibit — to make something slow or less activeInhibiting
- tumour — abnormal tissue growth that can be harmfultumours
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Discussion questions
- Do you think targeting stress-sensing pathways is a good idea for cancer treatment? Why or why not?
- Why is it useful to study both fruit flies and human cells in the same research?
- How might cells becoming more mobile affect a patient's disease and treatment?
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