Protein may stop cancer spreading

A discovery about cell behaviour could lead to new drugs to stop the spread of cancer, scientists believe.

A team from Cancer Research UK discovered how a group of proteins interact and cause cancer cells to migrate around the body.

By mimicking the action of a key protein, it might be possible to "anchor" cancer and prevent secondary tumours developing, they report in the journal Molecular Cell. The movement of cancer from the primary tumour to other parts of the body is the main reason the disease is so lethal.