Cancer research is an expanding field, with new discoveries every year contributing to answer to the mystery, yet the disease remains unsolved. In a recent study, a group of scientists discovered what may be the answer to preventing metastasis or the spreading of cancer, in the body (Metastasis, no date): collagen, a protein that is most abundant in the human body and functions to provide structure and support the skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissues (Collagen, 2023; Sohn 2021), The researchers discovered that collagen III specifically plays this role (Sohn, 2021).

Figure 1 This is an illustration of collagen III. The structure consists of three identical alpha helices.

In the study, the researchers discovered a connection between dormant cancer cells and the abundance of collagen III around these cells (Sohn, 2021). The researchers used mice as a model to study the effects of the collagen (Sohn, 2021). In one part of the study, the researchers observed the collagen III surrounding dormant cancer cells-the researchers found that the collagen III protein produced from cancer cells can cause a signaling pathway, a series of cellular events, that keep a cancer cell dormant (Sohn, 2021). However, they noticed that altering the pathway caused a decrease in collagen III produced and changed its structure, from wavy to more linear (Sohn, 2021). In addition, this caused the dormant cancer cells to become active (Sohn, 2021).

In the next part of the research, the researchers caused mice to acquire head, neck, and breast cancer (separately), which active cells created tumors and immediately spread throughout the mice and dormant cells created isolated clumps that did not grow or spread (Sohn, 2021). Thus, the researchers tested whether collagen III possessed an effect on the spread or growth of cancer by injecting both cancer cells and collagen III into the mice at the same time, which the researchers found that the cancer that was added to the mice with the collagen III had a slower growth rate compared to the cancer cells that were injected into the mice by itself (Sohn, 2021). In addition, the researchers removed the tumors in the mice in another study and added a modified scaffold (Medical definition, 2021), which is a short genetic sequence, and collagen III to the same area that the tumor was removed (Sohn, 2021). As a result, cancer in 20 percent of the mice with scaffolds and 80 percent of the mice that only had the tumor removed (control group) returned (Sohn, 2021).

Collagen III is found in bone marrow and lymphoid tissues, two important sites for responding to cancer, as well as muscles, arteries, and other organs (Gora and Ross, 2022).

In the study, the researchers studied squamous cell carcinoma (Sohn, 2021). Squamous cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer that occurs in the squamous cells of the middle and outer layer of the skin (Squamous, no date). Squamous cell carcinoma is usually caused by UV radiation from the sun or other triggers, which the cell’s DNA becomes damaged, leading to the overproduction of squamous cells and the prevention of cell death (Squamous, no date). The cells’ inability to die causes buildup that eventually spreads to other parts of the body (Squamous, no date).

Works Cited

Collagen (2023) The Nutrition Source. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/collagen/#:~:text=Collagen%20is%20the%20most%20abundant,muscles%2C%20tendons%2C%20and%20cartilage. (Accessed: 15 December 2023).

Gora, A. and Ross, R. (2022) What is collagen good for?, LiveScience. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/collagen.html (Accessed: 15 December 2023).

Medical definition of scaffold (2021) RxList. Available at: https://www.rxlist.com/scaffold/definition.htm (Accessed: 15 December 2023).

Metastasis (metastatic cancer): Definition, Biology & Types (no date) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22213-metastasis-metastatic-cancer (Accessed: 15 December 2023).

Sohn, R. (2021) Dormant cancer cells may ‘reawaken’ due to change in this key protein, LiveScience. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/how-dormant-cancer-cells-reactivate (Accessed: 15 December 2023).

Squamous cell carcinoma: Symptoms, causes & treatment (no date) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17480-squamous-cell-carcinoma (Accessed: 15 December 2023).