Apr 28, 2026 - New method reveals cellular makeup of environments that favor metastatic cancer growth
Researchers at BCM and collaborating institutions developed a method that reveals the cellular makeup of tissues that support metastatic cancer growth, which is the primary cause of death for most patients with solid tumors. The method not only revealed cellular features shared by metastatic niches of multiple cancer models but also uncovered an unexpected driver of immune suppression in bone metastasis. The study appeared in the journal Cell. Co-authors Zhan Xu and Fengshuo Liu explained “The method, called Sortase A–Based Microenvironment Niche Tagging (SAMENT), selectively labels normal cells that come into direct contact with cancer cells.” (BCM NEWS - read more)