Going by the findings of a recent breast cancer study by the research team from UK’s Cancer Research, TGFb - transforming growth factor beta, which is supposed to regulate normal cell growth and movement - is the factor that controls the spread of breast cancer cells from the primary tumor to other body parts.

As per the researchers, this notable find might pave the way for development of new drugs that can target TGFb; thereby putting a stop to the spread of metastatic breast cancer.

The latest TGFb-related findings by the researchers were based on their advanced microscopy and analysis technique used in mice. According to the observations, when messenger genes in cancer cells were turned on and off by TGFb, single breast cancer cells disentangled themselves from the main tumor site and passed into the blood stream.

However, when the TGFb remained inactive, only clumps, and not single breast cancer cells, managed to break away from the main tumor. This resulted in only the local spread of the cancer because clumps can pass into the lymphatic system, and not the blood.

Commenting on the findings, the study’s author Erik Sahai said: “The results helped us to find the set of genes that are behind the spread of breast cancer, and that the genes need to be first turned on and then off in order for single cancer cells to be able to ‘relocate’.”