The Hidden Dance of Cancer Cells

Cancer cells are sneaky. They find ways to sneak into blood vessels, and this is how they spread. This process is called intravasation. It's tricky to study because it's hard to recreate in a lab. But now, there's a new tool called INVADE. It's a tiny, clever device that mimics how blood vessels work. It has 23 little chambers, each with a fake blood vessel lining. This setup lets scientists watch cancer cells in action, in real-time. So, what did they find? Two types of breast cancer cells behaved differently. MCF-7 cells stick together and invade as a group. MDA-MB-231 cells, on the other hand, are more interactive. They change their behavior over time. At first, they increase a protein called Vimentin. But after 96 hours, they decrease it by 2. 3 times and increase another protein, EpCAM, by 1. 5 times. This switch is something scientists didn't know about before. Here's where it gets interesting. The fake blood vessel lining in INVADE isn't just a passive observer. It actively changes the cancer cells' behavior. It suppresses their aggressive traits, like reducing Vimentin by 4. 6 times compared to when cancer cells are alone. Plus, aggressive cancer cells make the fake blood vessel lining produce more ICAM-1, a protein that helps cells stick to each other. INVADE is a big step forward. It lets scientists see how cancer cells and blood vessel linings interact. This could help us understand how cancer spreads and find new ways to stop it. But remember, this is just one piece of the puzzle. Cancer is complex, and there's still so much to learn. Every new tool like INVADE brings us one step closer to unraveling its mysteries.