Stress can cause breast cancer to spread to bone: Study
Washington: Stress or depression following primary treatment in breast cancer patients can make it more favourable for cancer cells to spread to the bone.
The study published in PLoS Biology journal found that both stress and depression activate the sympathetic nervous system, which increases bone levels of a signaling molecule called RANKL.
The researchers from Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology found that breast cancer cell migration to the bone depends on RANKL, which is known to promote the formation of osteoclasts, bone cells that break down bone tissue.
"We came to the hypothesis that sympathetic activation might remodel the bone environment and make it more favourable for cancer cells to metastasis there," said Florent Elefteriou, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology.
"Metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to distant organs, including bone is more likely to kill patients than a primary breast tumour," Elefteriou said.
The researchers studied cancer cell metastasis in mice. They followed fluorescently "tagged" human breast cancer cells that were injected into the mouse heart to model the stage of metastasis when breast cancer cells leave the primary site and move through the circulation.
They found that treating the mice with a drug that mimics sympathetic nervous system activation caused more cancer lesions in bone.
More from India
More from World
More from Sports
More from Entertaiment
- Watch - IIT-Kharagpur develops superpower drone 'BHIM' that could aid soldiers in war zones
- Is Pakistan terrified of Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh CM?
- Ayodhya dispute: SC asks parties to solve matter amicably, offers mediation
- Should Ram Mandir issue be resolved through mutual understanding?
- Jharkhand: Congress leader, 3 others killed in shootout in Dhanbad
- Sunil Grover responds to Kapil Sharma’s ‘sorry’ tweet, says ‘don’t act like a God’
- This fiery speech by Yogi Adityanath in Parliament on communal riots is setting internet on fire - MUST WATCH
- Kapil Sharma fight on flight row: Did Sunil Grover, Ali Asgar and Chandan Prabhakar skip shoot?
- Mohammad Kaif welcomes Yogi Adityanath's appointment as new Uttar Pradesh chief minister
- Team Yogi Adityanath: List of Yogi's ministers with their portfolios - Check who got what