ULB researchers identify immune cell mechanism driving cancer metastasis

Researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) have identified a molecular dialogue between immune cells and cancer cells that facilitates the formation of metastases. The study, published in Nature Cancer and led by Professor Cédric Blanpain, explores how cancer cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to become mobile and spread to distant organs.

The research reveals that the tumor environment is organized into distinct zones. Neutrophils cluster around cancer cells in a hybrid state, releasing a molecule called oncostatin M, which promotes the cells' ability to disseminate. Simultaneously, macrophages release TGFβ1, a molecule that triggers the EMT process and drives cancer cells toward the most advanced stages of metastasis.

Because most cancer-related deaths are caused by metastasis rather than the primary tumor, understanding this immune-driven orchestration offers a potential pathway for developing new therapies to prevent tumor dissemination.