“A protein which administers the development of human embryonic stem cells also slows down the growth and spread of malignant melanoma which a deadliest skin cancer” discovered by the Northwestern University researchers.

Metastatic melanoma has a death rate of more than 80% and the survival of the patient is less seven and half months that is developed from the transformation of skin pigment cells or melanocytes. This study led by Dr. Mary J.C Hendrix found that a protein called Lefty prevents the breast cancer cells from metastasizing. Lefty is secreted only in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and no in any other stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells can become around 200 types of cells in the adult body depending on the signals received from their microenvironment and hence it is known as pluripotent. The gradual progress of cancer is also due to the receiving and releasing of signals by the malignant cells from their microenvironment which promote the tumor growth and metastasis.

Revolutionizing work done by Hendrix and colleagues is explaining how the melanoma cells gain improved abilities to migrate, invade and metastasize by remaining almost unidentified by the immune system. Hendrix and fellow researchers demonstrated before that a three-dimensional matrix accustomed by hESCs persuade metastatic melanoma cells to revert to normal skin cell like type with the ability to form colonies in the mode of hESCs.

According to Hendrix this examination allowed to value the powerful influence of hESCs microenvironment in the reprogramming of metastatic melanoma cells. Hendrix and the fellow researchers found that the aggressive melanoma and breast cancer produce a morphogenic protein called Nodal which is necessary for the human embryonic cell pluripotency in the following researches. They also discovered that metastatic tumor cells do not express Lefty, allowing them to overproduce Nodal in an unregulated manner.

Hendrix said that the Nodal might serve as analytical marker aggressive behaviors in human cancer. Under normal circumstances the Lefty protein inhibits production of Nodal and plays the role of embryonic cell differentiation and development. The researchers observed considerably reduced Nodal production in the cancer cells along with the reduction in tumor cell growth and invasiveness and an increase in programmed cell suicide when the metastatic tumor cells are exposed to the microenvironment of hESCs containing Lefty. The breast cancer cells underwent more complex reprogramming than the metastatic melanoma. Breast cancer cells required two more days to achieve most significant Nodal reduction than the melanoma cells but the melanoma cells responded to the hESCs derived factors within three days. This is because of the differences in signaling mechanisms between the two cell types.

The findings from the study suggest that hESCs derived from the Lefty may have the ability to prevent metastasis. The study points out that the ability of utilizing the isolating factors within the microenvironment of hESC is capable of influencing the fate of the tumor cells and also reversing the malignant nature of tumor cells like melanoma and breast cancer.

Relevant Links:

• Northwestern University Office for Research

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