WHY are some women with breast cancer more susceptible to developing secondary tumours elsewhere in their body?
Wen Jian and his team at University of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff have found that vulnerable patients have fewer molecules called 鈥渢ight junctions鈥�, which seal the gaps between neighbouring cells. When tight junctions are in short supply, the gap between cells in tumours and in the walls of blood vessels is wider, making it easier for rogue cancer cells to break away. A therapy that boosts the levels of these molecular 鈥渮ips鈥� could help cut off the cancer cells鈥� escape route and prevent them from overrunning the rest of the body, says Jiang.