Playing chicken with metastasis

In a June study published in Nature Communications, a University of Alberta team described an in vivo screen that identified genetic drivers of cancer metastasis, and the university has spun out Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop RNA interference compounds against a selection of those targets.

Screening for genes that contribute to metastasis requires observation of the tumor microenvironment in vivo, as cancer cells must invade the bloodstream (intravasate) before traveling to other regions of the body. However, in vivo visualization of metastasis is difficult with fluorescence-based imaging techniques, study author John Lewis told BioCentury. Lewis is CEO of Entos and a professor in the department...