New drugs hope for cancer patients

A breakthrough discovery about the way cells behave could lead to new drugs to stop the spread of cancer, scientists have said.

Experts have unlocked the secrets of how a group of proteins interact and cause cancer cells to migrate around the body.

By mimicking the action of a key protein, it might be possible to "anchor" cancer and prevent secondary tumours developing.

The movement of cancer from the primary tumour to other parts of the body is the main reason the disease is so lethal.

Mena - a protein found in excessive amounts in tumours - plays an important role in helping all types of cancer spread.

Another protein, called Tes, acts against cancer by preventing cell growth and stopping tumours from forming. Tes can attach itself to Mena and stop cancer cells migrating to other parts of the body.

However, in many cases, Mena is found in such large quantities that Tes cannot manage to stop the disease spreading. Now, researchers have discovered the mechanism by which Tes "locks" on to Mena to stop the spread of cancer.

The discovery offers the possibility of developing drugs which could block the action of Mena by mimicking the action of Tes.

Preventing cancer spreading is one of the major challenges for researchers so the findings, by Cancer Research UK scientists, are exciting.

Dr Lesley Walker, director of science information at Cancer Research UK, said: "Cancer cells use many complex processes when they break away from their tumour and spread to other areas of the body. Understanding these mechanisms and increasing our knowledge about this protein can hopefully help us to develop more effective cancer treatments in the future."