Breast Tumor Metastasis: How They Fuel Up & What to Do
UCSF scientists discovered that triple-negative breast cancer cells build molecular tunnels, called gap junctions, into nearby fat cells and trigger them to release energy, fueling tumor growth. Teh study, published in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62486-3), analyzed fat and tumor cells from patients and laboratory models. Blocking gap junctions halted tumor growth, presenting a potential treatment strategy, as drugs targeting gap junctions are already in clinical trials for brain cancer. The research was led by Andrei Goga, Ph.D., professor of cell and tissue biology at UCSF.
[Image of breast cancer cells with credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain]
FINAL OUTPUT:
UCSF scientists discovered that triple-negative breast cancer cells build molecular tunnels, called gap junctions, into nearby fat cells and trigger them to release energy, fueling tumor growth. The study, published in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62486-3),analyzed fat and tumor cells from patients and laboratory models. Blocking gap junctions halted tumor growth, presenting a potential treatment strategy, as drugs targeting gap junctions are already in clinical trials for brain cancer. The research was led by Andrei Goga, Ph.D.,professor of cell and tissue biology at UCSF.[Image of breast cancer cells with credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain]