It has been observed in mice that liver metastases almost completely disappear when stellate cells are removed

2025/06/09 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Medikuntza

Researchers from the UPV/EHU have shown in mice that stellate cells in the liver favor the development of metastasis, and if they are removed, the metastasis practically disappears. Research can open up a new way to treat liver metastases.

The study was published in the journal Hepatology Communications. According to him, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are activated when the liver has a lesion: they create an extracellular matrix, composed among other things of collagen, and they create a scar in order to protect the liver. In the Cancer and Translational Medicine research group of the UPV/EHU, it has been observed that even when metastatic cells reach the liver, the stellate cells are activated and they contribute to the development of the metastatic tumor. In fact, in addition to the secretion of collagen, they contribute to the formation of new blood vessels and, as a result of various factors that hinder the body's defenses, they contribute to the development of tumor cells. Moreover, they have been found to be essential for the initiation and development of liver metastases.

Going deeper into this, they have shown for the first time that by removing stellate cells from the liver, the metastases of the mice have almost disappeared: the accumulation of collagen is reduced; the formation of blood vessels is also blocked; the immune response of the liver is improved; and all this helps to fight the tumor.

The study has been conducted with liver metastases caused by colon cancer and melanoma, and pancreatic cancer is now being investigated. They explain that it has now been observed that colon cancer has increased, even in young people; 70% of patients with colon cancer will develop liver metastases in their lifetime, which is usually the main cause of death in these patients.

The researchers say that although there is still a long way to go, the results obtained are very significant and closer to the cure than before.