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Detritus From Cancer Cells May Infect Healthy Cells

Posted by samzenpus on from the one-bad-cell dept.

bmahersciwriter writes Tiny bubbles of cell membrane — called exosomes — are shed by most cells. Long thought to be mere trash, researchers had recently noticed that they often contain short, regulatory RNA molecules, suggesting that exosomes may be one way that cells communicate with one another. Now, it appears that RNA in the exosomes shed by tumor cells can get into healthy cells and 'transform' them, putting them on the path to becoming cancerous themselves.

3 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Cell-level "Radicalization" process? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Tiny bubbles of cell membrane â" called exosomes â" are shed by most cells. Long thought to be mere trash, researchers had recently noticed that they often contain short, regulatory RNA molecules, suggesting that exosomes may be one way that cells communicate with one another. Now, it appears that RNA in the exosomes shed by tumor cells can get into healthy cells and 'transform' them, putting them on the path to becoming cancerous themselves

    In other words, the exosomes from cancerous cells work very much like Islamic State recruiters in the Western world --- via the process of radicalizing healthy cells to turn rogue

  2. Assumptions... by curious.corn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Isn't it great when decades old assumptions are challenged and new research and understanding avenues open up? Can't beat science...

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    Mi domando chi à il mandante di tutte le cazzate che faccio - Altan
  3. How is this different from a virus? by pz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A small encapsulatory structure containing a fragment of RNA. I'm not a microbiologist, so can someone tell me how these things are different from a virus?

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    Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.