Preventing Cancer Metastasis and Recurrence with Collagen Injections... Amazing Experimental Results [Reading Science]

Nature Cancer, Paper Published by Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine Research Team
Type III Collagen Maintains Cancer Cell Dormancy
Could Prevent Main Causes of Death: Recurrence and Metastasis... Improve Cancer Patient Survival?

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] It has been discovered that cancer cells remain dormant and do not proliferate when in an environment rich in a specific type of collagen. This finding draws attention as it could lead to the development of therapeutic technologies that halt the deterioration of patients with intractable cancers and prevent recurrence and metastasis.

A research team from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York published a paper detailing these findings on the 13th in the international journal Nature Cancer. Cancer cells spread far from the original tissue where they first appeared and establish themselves, often remaining dormant for years before being detected in examinations. This explains why cancer patients, reassured after initial diagnosis and surgery, are devastated when metastasis is found years later in distant locations.

Cancer cells. Stock photo. Not related to the article.

The research team studied this characteristic of cancer cells. Until now, it was unknown how cancer cells fill the gaps in the extracellular matrix during the process of metastasizing far from the primary tumor and maintain dormancy.

The team discovered that type III collagen plays a crucial role in this process. Cancer cells migrate long distances in the body, secrete type III collagen, and then maintain a dormant state. Specifically, type III collagen interacts with the DDR1 genome to activate the STAT1 protein signaling pathway, inducing and sustaining dormancy.

Using advanced microscopy, the researchers also revealed that when cancer cells exit dormancy and become reactivated, there are changes in the abundance and three-dimensional structure of type III collagen. This means that a deficiency in type III collagen awakens cancer cells, and conversely, maintaining a collagen-rich environment could prevent cancer recurrence and metastasis. In animal experiments, increasing the amount of type III collagen around cancer cells halted cancer progression and induced dormancy in the disseminated cancer cells.

The research team stated, "Externally administered type III collagen in vivo induces dormancy in cancer cells, stopping tumor growth and extending the dormancy period to prevent reactivation of residual dormant cancer cells." They added, "We confirmed that manipulating this mechanism can induce dormancy in cancer cells that have spread far within the body, thereby preventing recurrence and metastasis."

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