14 DAY TRIAL // In a new report in the science journal PLOS ONE, researchers detail how, in a series of experiments, they found a way to watch cancer tumors grow in the body of laboratory rats in real time.
The investigation, carried out by scientists at the University of Freiburg in Germany, revealed that tumor growth is a complex process during which cancer cells not only alter the environment around them but also undergo a series of transformations themselves.
Although the experiments were performed on rats, the research team expect their work will pave the way for the development of new and more effective treatments for cancer tumors in people.
“The ability to visualize and characterize the composition of a tumour in detail during its development can provide valuable insights in order to target appropriate therapeutics,” the University of Freiburg scientists explain.
How does one watch tumors grow in the body?
To sneak a peek at cancer tumors growing inside rats, the researchers started by creating these tumors themselves. Thus, they first genetically engineered breast cancer cells expressing a specific protein, i.e. E2-Crimson, previously shown to absorb light in the far-red spectrum.
Then, they used infrared light to illuminate this protein in the body of the rats they experimented on and, based on the distribution of this protein, they managed to map the growth of the cancer tumors expressing it.
“In such light-based imaging techniques, fluorophores - used as dyes - provide specificity and contrast, to distinguish one tissue from the other and to delineate specific tissue components,” the University of Freiburg researchers sum up their work watching tumor grow in real time.
Tumors grow in an organization fashion, the team found
As detailed in the PLOS ONE report on this research project, the scientists found that, rather than randomly invade new cells and tissues, cancer tumors grow in an organized fashion.
During the first 4 weeks of growth, the tumors monitored in the study increased in volume, but no increase in the overall number of tumor cells was documented. This is because the tumors merely expanded their supporting matrix.
Once this supporting matrix was done and ready to use, the tumors experienced a boom in their population of cancer cells, each taking their proper place in the previously created mold.
The research team hope that their work studying tumor growth in vivo will make it easier for medical experts to determine which drugs are bound to be most effective when treating patients in different stages of the disease.
