A study published in Science reveals that the beating of the heart may prevent cancer growth in this organ, explaining why heart tumors are rare in mammals, including humans. While most body organs can develop tumors, heart tumors are seldom seen, with primary tumors found in less than 1% of autopsies and secondary cancers in up to 18%. Researchers, led by Serena Zacchigna, transplanted non-beating hearts onto mice and injected them with cancer cells. These cells grew more in the non-beating hearts compared to the native, beating hearts. Further experiments with engineered heart tissue showed that cancer cells proliferated more in static tissue than in beating tissue. This suggests that the mechanical strain of a beating heart might inhibit cancer growth.
QUESTION: Why do you think the mechanical strain of a beating heart might prevent cancer cells from growing as effectively as they do in other tissues?
Why is heart cancer so rare? The pumping muscle ‘beats’ it
