Fighting Thyroid Cancer with Microgravity Research.
Marcus KrügerDaniela MelnikSascha KoppChristoph BukenJayashree SahanaJohann BauerMarkus WehlandRuth HemmersbachThomas J CorydonManfred InfangerDaniela GrimmPublished in: International journal of molecular sciences (2019)
Microgravity in space or simulated by special ground-based devices provides an unusual but unique environment to study and influence tumour cell processes. By investigating thyroid cancer cells in microgravity for nearly 20 years, researchers got insights into tumour biology that had not been possible under normal laboratory conditions: adherently growing cancer cells detach from their surface and form three-dimensional structures. The cells included in these multicellular spheroids (MCS) were not only altered but behave also differently to those grown in flat sheets in normal gravity, more closely mimicking the conditions in the human body. Therefore, MCS became an invaluable model for studying metastasis and developing new cancer treatment strategies via drug targeting. Microgravity intervenes deeply in processes such as apoptosis and in structural changes involving the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix, which influence cell growth. Most interestingly, follicular thyroid cancer cells grown under microgravity conditions were shifted towards a less-malignant phenotype. Results from microgravity research can be used to rethink conventional cancer research and may help to pinpoint the cellular changes that cause cancer. This in turn could lead to novel therapies that will enhance the quality of life for patients or potentially develop new preventive countermeasures.
Keyphrases
- papillary thyroid
- extracellular matrix
- squamous cell
- end stage renal disease
- endothelial cells
- cell cycle arrest
- chronic kidney disease
- emergency department
- single cell
- lymph node metastasis
- induced apoptosis
- ejection fraction
- childhood cancer
- prognostic factors
- mesenchymal stem cells
- cell death
- young adults
- squamous cell carcinoma
- high resolution
- drug delivery
- peritoneal dialysis
- mass spectrometry
- quantum dots
- electronic health record
- cell therapy
- bone marrow