New Delhi, April 26 (IANS). We read and hear news of cancer outbreak in various parts of the body every day, but there is less discussion about heart cancer. Why is this so? A latest study has thrown light on this. Which raises the question whether the continuous heartbeat protects it from cancer?
A new study published in the prestigious journal Science has given an interesting answer to this question. According to research, the mechanical pressure generated by the heartbeat can stop the growth of cancer cells—at least in experiments conducted on mice.
According to scientists, tumors can develop in almost every organ of the body, but cases of cancer in the heart are extremely rare. In humans, primary cardiac tumors (those that begin directly in the heart) are found in less than 1 percent of postmortem cases. At the same time, secondary tumors (which spread from other parts of the body and reach the heart) are seen in about 18 percent of the cases.
Until now it was not clear why heart cancer occurs so rarely. James Chong, who is associated with the University of Sydney, says that this new study offers a “strong and reliable basis” to explain this mystery.
This research was led by Serena Zakhina and her team at the ‘University of Tri-à-Ste’ (located in Italy). Scientists conducted a unique experiment on genetically modified mice. They implanted an extra heart outside the mice’s body—in the neck. This ‘external’ heart was receiving blood supply, but was not beating.
The researchers then injected cancer cells into both the ‘normal’ (beating) heart and the ‘external’ (stagnant) heart of these mice. Within two weeks, cancer cells in the frozen heart grew rapidly and replaced most of the healthy cells. In contrast, only about 20 percent of the tissue in the beating heart was affected by cancer.
The research did not stop here. Scientists also prepared artificial heart tissue (engineered heart tissue) from rat heart cells in the lab. When this tissue was exposed to calcium ions, it would beat—just like the heart inside the body.
When lung cancer cells were added to this tissue, it was found that the cancer spread faster and took up more space in the stationary (non-beating) tissue. At the same time, cancer cells remained confined to the beating tissue and remained clustered only in the outer layers.
This research indicates that the constant rhythm of the heart and the pressure it creates create an unfavorable environment for cancer cells, stopping or slowing their growth.
However, scientists say that this study is still in its initial stages and more research is needed before it can be directly applied to humans. Nevertheless, this discovery could open the way to new methods of cancer treatment in the future—where cancer growth can be controlled using mechanical forces or tissue movement.
–IANS
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