Early detection

Sensitive, non-invasive detection of lymph node metastases. Harisinghani, M. G. & Weissleder, R. PLoS Med. 1, 202–209 (2005)

Using a nanoparticle-enhanced lymphotropic magnetic resonance imaging (LMRI) technique, the authors compared the magnetic tissue parameters of normal lymph nodes with those of patients with metastases from a range of primary tumour types. They identified unique magnetic tissue parameters that could accurately distinguish metastasis-containing nodes from negative nodes, with a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 92%.

Prognosis

Transcriptional activation of integrin β6 during the epithelial–mesenchymal transition defines a novel prognostic indicator of aggressive colon carcinoma. Bates, R. C. et al. J. Clin. Invest. 20 Jan 2005 (10.1172/JCI200523183)

Using a spheroid model of colon carcinoma to identify factors that mediate tumour progression, Bates et al. found that upregulation of the integrin-αvβ6 mediates epithelial–mesenchymal transition and tumour invasiveness. An analysis of almost 500 human colorectal carcinoma samples revealed that high expression levels of this receptor were associated with reduced patient survival, making it a useful marker for early-stage disease.

Cancer stem cells

Sustained hedgehog signalling is required for basal cell carcinoma proliferation and survival: conditioned skin tumorigenesis recapitulates the hair growth cycle. Hutchin, M. E. et al. Genes Dev. 29 Dec 2004 (10.1101/gad.1258705)

Sustained Hedgehog (HH) signalling leads to the development and maintenance of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) in the skin. These authors found that a small subset of tumour cells failed to die when HH signalling was inhibited. There cells remained as a non-proliferative population with the capacity to give rise to many epidermal cell lineages and to reform BCCs after reactivation of the HH pathway, indicating that they might be cancer stem cells.

Early diagnosis

Molecular and genetic analysis of disseminated neoplastic cells in lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Crooks, D. M. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 101, 17462–17467 (2005)

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) causes lung degeneration, renal angiomyolipomas and lymphatic abnormalities. LAM lesions involve the proliferation of smooth-muscle-like LAM cells, which vary in their appearance and are difficult to detect. These authors have developed a cheap and non-invasive way of detecting LAM cells. They show that loss of heterozygosity of the gene tuberous sclerosis complex 2 allows disseminated, potentially metastatic LAM cells to be identified in the body fluids of LAM patients.