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Tampere, Finland & Izmir, Turkey: Researchers from Tampere University, Finland, and Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey, have developed a groundbreaking in vitro cancer model to investigate the mechanisms behind breast cancer’s tendency to spread to bones. Their findings could lead to significant advancements in predicting bone metastasis, offering hope for improved preclinical diagnostic tools.
Breast cancer remains a global health challenge, affecting approximately 2.3 million people and claiming 700,000 lives annually. While 80% of primary breast cancer cases can be cured if detected and treated early, metastasis—when cancer spreads to other parts of the body—remains incurable and accounts for over 90% of cancer-related deaths.
One of the most common sites for breast cancer metastasis is the bone, with about 53% of cases leading to severe complications such as pain, pathological fractures, and spinal cord compression. Despite its prevalence, there have been no reliable in vitro models to study how breast cancer spreads to organs like bone, lung, liver, or brain—until now.
The collaborative research team from Tampere and Izmir has developed a physiologically relevant metastasis model using lab-on-a-chip technology. This innovation simulates the conditions of breast cancer spreading to bone, helping scientists understand the factors that control this process.
“Our research provides a laboratory model that estimates the likelihood and mechanism of bone metastasis occurring within a living organism,” said Burcu Firatligil-Yildirir, postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University and lead author of the study. “This advances our understanding of molecular mechanisms in breast cancer bone metastasis and lays the groundwork for developing preclinical tools to predict bone metastasis risk.”
Nonappa, Associate Professor and leader of Tampere University’s Precision Nanomaterials Group, highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the research. “Creating sustainable in vitro models that replicate the complexity of both breast and bone microenvironments is a multidisciplinary challenge. By combining cancer biology, microfluidics, and soft materials, we’ve shown that physiologically relevant in vitro models can be generated,” he said.
This research not only offers insight into the biological processes driving breast cancer metastasis but also paves the way for the development of more predictive diagnostic and treatment tools. The Precision Nanomaterials Group at Tampere University continues to explore new ways to model cancer metastasis and improve the understanding of how cancer spreads, with the aim of creating better outcomes for patients worldwide.
