Thank you to all our lab members and colleagues who contributed to this research, and the funding bodies who supported our work - the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Hospital Research Foundation Group, @worldwidecancer.bsky.social (UK) and Australian Research Council (ARC).
We are very excited to share our newest results, published in Science Advances: “Compressive stress-driven Piezo1 activation and Rho-ROCK mechanotransduction promote tumor progression via epigenetic mechanical memory”. doi.org/10.1126/scia...
In a study co-led by myself and Prof @tmem-samuel.bsky.social at The Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide University, we found breast cancer cells subjected to compression, such as experienced during tumour growth in the restricted mammary duct, are changed in ways that worsen the resulting tumours.
Why ‘being squeezed’ helps breast cancer cells to thrive
“intense physical pressure at early stages of the disease… leaves a lasting ‘mechanical memory’ in breast cancer cells, promoting aggressive behaviour after the pressure itself has been relieved.”
www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
Interestingly, the mechanism by which this occurs is written in their DNA epigenetically, meaning that they retain a memory of this history - with troubling consequences.
Here, we show that incipient breast cancers growing rapidly within the mammary duct and subjected to high levels of compressive stress, integrate this mechanical stimulus into their biochemistry to enhance their own growth.
I am delighted to be able to share that our latest paper arising from a project co-led by @drsarahboyle.bsky.social and me is now out in the world, published in AAAS Science Advances.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In this system, the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 is the sensor of compressive stress, and we suggest that it may be a useful biomarker to predict disease outcomes.Sarah has a more detailed narrative of our findings here: bsky.app/profile/drsa...
Compressive force drives PIEZO1-RHO-ROCK mechanotransduction and establishes an epigenetic memory that promotes tumor progression.
Meet our invited Plenary and Keynote speakers! #HunterMeetingOz
#JodiNunnari a pioneer in #mitochondrial biology, all the way from California #AltosLabs. Supported by Australia & NZ's leading #cell and #DevBio society #ANZSCDB @anzscdb.bsky.social
A new study led by researchers at Adelaide University and published in Science Advances has revealed why some cancers can grow and survive in the body, while others cannot.