Cambridge scientists have shown that when tumours first emerge, interactions with healthy cells in the underlying supportive tissue determine their ability to survive, grow, and progress to advanced stages of disease. The study, carried out in mice and further validated using human tissue, may explain why some tiny, newly-formed tumours disappear, while others manage to survive and eventually grow into cancer.

In a new study published in Science Signaling, University of Michigan researchers have shown that glucose levels sustain the increased STAT3 activation in colorectal cancer cells.

Their findings suggest that targeting glucose metabolism could inhibit STAT3, leading to novel therapeutic strategies.