Nat Med weighs a lot! It is found that the new method of treating brain metastasis can significantly prolong the survival period of cancer patients

June 13, 2018 / Biovalley biion / - the brain microenvironment has brought particularly serious selective pressure to cancer metastasis initiating cells, but cancer can always avoid these pressures with unknown mechanisms and successfully establish metastasis focus in the brain Activated astrocytes are the key components of the brain microenvironment, which can limit the metastasis without entering the lesion area Image source: in order to reveal the mechanism of brain metastasis, researchers from Spain's National Cancer Center and other units, led by Dr Manuel Valiente, found that brain metastasis cells can conduct signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (signal translator and activator of transcription) through a group of activated astrocytes near the injury area of the metastasis 3 STAT3) to activate and maintain pre transfer activities Relevant research results were recently published in nature medicine, entitled "STAT3 labels a population of reactive astrocytes required for brain metastasis" These activated astrocytes can benefit the metastatic cancer cells by their regulatory effects on the innate and acquired immune systems In patients, activated STAT3 signaling in activated astrocytes is associated with reduced survival of intracranial metastases Inhibition of STAT3 signal in active astrocytes can reduce the probability of brain metastasis in various primary cancers, even in advanced cancer models The researchers also found that a safe, oral, and inhibitory treatment for STAT3 showed a significant anti-cancer effect in patients with advanced cancer who had brain metastases The response to this therapy is particularly significant in the central nervous system, and even several patients have achieved full response In general, this study found a new treatment for brain metastasis Considering the high incidence and mortality of brain metastasis, this treatment is expected to significantly improve the survival of patients with secondary brain metastasis Reference: neibla priego et al, STAT3 labels a population of reactive astrictes required for brain metastasis, Nature Medicine (2018) Doi: 10.1038/s41591-018-0044-4