Cancer Exosomes Promote Metastasis

Vesicles released by melanoma cells stimulate pro-metastasis behaviors in bone marrow cells.

Written byJef Akst

| 1 min read

Listen with Speechify

0:00

1:00

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, KUEBI

Exosomes, small membrane vesicles once thought to do little more than clean up a cell’s trash, have recently been recognized for their ability to carry diverse and complex messages around the body. (See “Exosome Explosion,” July 2011.) A new study published this week (May 27) in Nature Medicine demonstrates the importance of exosomes in promoting melanoma metastasis. Specifically, the vesicles appear to carry messages from the melanoma cells to the bone marrow, where they instruct bone marrow progenitor cells to become pro-vasculogenic and pro-metastatic, the researchers argue, through the transfer of the receptor tyrosine kinase MET.

“Our study is the first, to our knowledge, to show that transfer of the MET oncoprotein from tumor-derived exosomes to bone marrow progenitor cells promotes the metastatic process in ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
View Full Profile