*Introduction to Cancer Cells—Part One

Researchers find and use molecular interaction that relocates cancer cells.

Founded on studies that show new insight into the system that allow invasive malignant cells to move, scientists have gained new knowledge regarding how to stop cancer from metastasizing  (spreading). A cancer that spreads elsewhere in the body—known as metastasis—is the process that very frequently advances to death from the malignancy.

Researchers announce that a molecule known as protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is the source to the ability of a cancer cell to transform its structure; allowing it to travel and invade healthy cells elsewhere in the body. The scientists found that if PKD1 is active, cancer cells cannot migrate to healthy cells. This discovery explains why PKD1 is suppressed in some of the invasive cancers.

During metastasis, invasive cancer cells react to biological signals to migrate away from a primary cancer. Researchers are particularly interested in this development. One group of scientists has been looking into a course of action known as actin modifying at the most forward point of these traveling cancer cells.

The actions that alter the actin cytoskeleton (cells containing elaborate arrangement of protein fibers that serve such functions as establishing cell shape and movement) at the leading edge are complex; a large number of molecules work together. It appears that PKD1 has to be turned off if cancer cells are to invade other healthy cells in the body.

In order for the cancer cells to move to healthy cells, the actin-based cell configuration has to be constantly restructured. For this to happen, new actin filaments need to be created to send the cell forward.

PKD1 is critical to this process. PKD1 inhibits another protein called slingshot. Slingshot controls the splitting of Actin strings aid in the makeup of the cytoskeleton of cells. accessible actin arrangement so new actin filaments can be produced. This is necessary for cell travel.

Methods to kill cancer cells of PKD1 increased their ability to move spontaneously. Scientists then activated PKD1 in cancer cells and learned that movement was stopped. PKD1 is a negative controller of intended cell relocation, and if PKD1 is not shown in tumor cells, slingshot will become active and will add to the restructuring of actin, and cancer cells will move to healthy cells.

Researchers have found that PKD1 is also turned off in many invasive types of breast, gastric, and prostate cancer.

*I have recently been diagnosed with vocal cord cancer (both cords). It is my intention to write several articles concerning cancer.