Extra sets of chromosomes may help aggressive tumor cells spread, study finds
One of the biggest challenges in cancer research is understanding why some tumor cells become especially aggressive, invasive and resistant to treatment. Scientists have increasingly linked these dangerous traits to polyploid cancer cells — cells with extra sets of chromosomes — but exactly how those extra chromosomes help tumors spread has remained unclear.
A new study from Tulane University offers a possible answer. Researchers found that when animal cells gain extra chromosomes, they activate a cellular stress response that makes the cells more mobile and more likely to engulf neighboring cells.
