Mouse Study Finds Heart's Mechanical Stress May Inhibit Cancer Metastasis

Researchers proposed that the mechanical stress from the heart's constant beating creates a hostile environment for cancer cells, according to a paper published on Thursday in Science. The study, led by Giulio Ciucci and Serena Zacchigna at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Trieste, Italy, was conducted in mice.

@statnews reported that this mechanism may explain why cancer metastasis to the heart is rare, even though heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States.

To test the hypothesis, researchers transplanted a second heart into mice that was not pumping blood through the left ventricle. They then injected cancer cells into both the native and transplanted hearts. Cancer spread quickly in the transplanted heart under less stress but rarely spread in the native heart, the study found.

The research team identified genetic differences between cancers that spread in the heart and those that did not. They also discovered a protein that senses mechanical forces and reduces the activity of genes linked to proliferation in cancer cells.

Serena Zacchigna, a molecular biologist and physician, said the team has partnered with engineers to create devices that apply pressure to surface cancers like skin or breast cancers.

'We have the first prototypes, and results are promising,' Zacchigna said. ' The study's authors drew inspiration from observations that cellular regeneration occurs in patients implanted with a left ventricular assist device, noting that heart cells have a limited ability to regenerate themselves.