Some tumors eliminate healthy neighboring cells to grow, study reveals

Article excerpt

Researchers have discovered that some tumors actively eliminate healthy neighboring cells to create space for their own growth, a finding that challenges long-held assumptions about how chromosomal instability drives cancer. For decades, scientists believed chromosomal instability, a hallmark of aggressive tumors, mainly worked by pushing cancer cells to acquire growth-promoting genes or shed tumor-suppressor genes. The new study reveals an additional mechanism: tumors don't just evolve their own genomes; they actively attack and destroy the normal cells around them. This discovery could reshape how scientists understand tumor aggression and potentially lead to new therapeutic approaches targeting this cell-elimination process.