Under pressure: Compression and crowding inside cancer cells
When tumors grow within the body they press on surrounding tissues, building up pressure. Pancreatic cancer builds up more pressure than any other cancer. \n\nWhy is that? How do cancer cells adapt to this high-pressure environment or take advantage of it? \n\nIn the words of Liam Holt, PhD, \u201cNormal cells and early-stage cancer cells stop growing when pressure builds up. In contrast, in advanced cancer, compression can change cellular behavior to drive migration of cancer cells to other organs or confer resistance to chemotherapy\u2026 By determining the fundamental biology of pressure adaptation, we may discover strategies to treat this currently untreatable disease.\u201d\n\nLiam Holt, PhD, is Associate Professor at the NYU School of Medicine.\n\n1:50 \u2013 Why do pressure and compression matter for normal cells? \n\u201cFrom the earliest embryo through to astronauts, we can find really good examples of how cells are responding to their mechanical environment to make sure they do just the right thing.\u201d\n\n6:09 \u2013 What happens when a tumor starts to grow? How does that affect nearby normal cells?\n\n11:08 \u2013 Why there is so much compressive stress inside pancreatic tumors \n\n16:24 \u2013 If we gain a better understanding of how pressure impacts pancreatic cancer, could that help us prevent or treat cancer? \n\n22:13 \u2013 How a high-pressure environment drives the diversity of cancer cells\n\n26:19 \u2013 \u201cYou can usually tell if it\u2019s a good idea because it seems super obvious\u201d \n\n29:06 \u2013 On an educational outreach initiative he co-founded called Science Sketches\nhttps://www.sciencesketches.org/ \n\n33:48 \u2013 The impact American Cancer Society funding has had on his research\n\n34:59 \u2013 A message he\u2019d like to share with cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers