Visualization Tool Aids Breast Cancer Tracking

Cancer cell movement during metastasis is a dynamic process regulated by several different signals. However, the way cells receive, process and respond to these signals has been extremely hard to detect, but is made easier by a new visualization tool. In a new study led by Professor Johanna Ivaska and Dr. James Conway, researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have developed a new fluorescent probe to visualize signaling dynamics in moving cancer cells, which they used to uncover a new therapeutic possibility for limiting breast cancer spread.

“Signaling networks inside cells control everything from growth to movement, but visualizing this in living cells requires new and refined methods," explained Conway, the lead researcher of the team, “I set out to see these invisible signals and came up with a new tool, which we call Illusia, to do just that.”

Breast cancer patients who experience the transition from pre-malignant ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) face a considerably poorer prognosis and metastatic disease is incurable.

The research team's work focuses on identifying factors that regulate the metastatic movement of breast cancer cells, with the protein phosphatase Shp2, “Ship two”, emerging as a key regulator of metastasis through the regulation of cancer cell interactions with the surrounding tissue.

“Cell movement is essential for cancer cells to spread from the primary tumor to secondary sites. Even though this is widely recognized as the key step in cancer progression, there are currently no cancer therapies that block cell migration or invasion. Our research finds that drugs currently in clinical trials for blocking growth in other tumor types may also be effective in blocking breast cancer spread,” said Ivaska, the principal investigator on the project.

The implications of this discovery extend beyond breast cancer alone and may help us to understand cancer cell invasion from solid tumors more generally.

"Researchers develop color-based probes to detect different events in live cells, but this type of cell-dynamics reporter had not been available before. It has transformed our understanding of what sorts of signaling are needed for cell movement,” explained Conway and continued “These probes often take on names from pop culture references. The lab came up with the name Illusia, drawing from an old Finnish story about a fairy that comes to earth from the rainbow. This gave our work a colorful twist, something we are all seeking in today’s world, as we strive for better treatments.”

The team is now exploring the therapeutic avenues that have opened up as a result of these recent findings.

Reference: Conway JRW, Joshi O, Kaivola J, et al. Dynamic regulation of integrin β1 phosphorylation supports invasion of breast cancer cells. Nat Cell Biol. 2025:1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41556-025-01663-4

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