Immune Cell Neighborhoods Control Cancer Metastasis
Researchers at Université libre de Bruxelles identified immune cell neighborhoods that regulate how cancer cells spread through the body.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cancer
Researchers at Université libre de Bruxelles found that immune cells build distinct neighborhoods around cancer cells that control metastasis. The findings were published November 3, 2026, in Nature Cancer.
Why it matters
Most cancer deaths are caused by metastases rather than the original tumor, so understanding the signals that keep cancer cells in their spreading state is central to prevention. The study points to molecules that could be targeted to limit spread and potentially improve response to anti-cancer therapy.
The evidence comes from experimental mouse studies in which neutrophils and macrophages were removed, with removing neutrophils reducing hybrid cancer cells and lung metastases while removing macrophages increased hybrid cells without affecting metastases. Neutrophils producing oncostatin M were found next to hybrid cancer cells in human breast, pancreatic, lung and bladder cancers, but whether these signals translate into effective treatments remains unresolved.
The players
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
A public university in Brussels, Belgium, whose research team conducted the study on immune cell control of cancer metastasis.
The details
Immune cells surround cancer cells in distinct patterns: neutrophils encircle hybrid EMT cancer cells and release oncostatin M, which pushes cells into that state, while macrophages surround advanced-stage EMT cells and release TGFβ1, which drives cells to their most advanced stage. In mice, researchers blocked oncostatin M with a drug and observed a decline in hybrid cancer cells.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Study published in Nature Cancer on metastasis-controlling immune cell neighborhoods.
Big Picture
The study extends decades of epithelial-mesenchymal transition research, which describes how cancer cells acquire mobility to invade and spread, by showing that immune cells in the surrounding tissue actively keep cells in a partial, hybrid version of that transition. This places immune-driven signaling alongside the EMT framework as a regulator of metastasis.
For patients and families affected by cancer, the research suggests that metastasis may be influenced by signals from surrounding immune cells, which could eventually inform treatment choices. Any therapy based on these findings would still need clinical testing before it reaches patients.
The takeaway
Cancer spread depends not only on the tumor itself but on the immune cells that surround it, which opens the possibility of targeting those signals to slow metastasis. Researchers say these approaches still need further assessment before they can be applied.
Further reading
Explore more in Cancer coverage on how tumors spread and how treatments respond.
More information
Read the full Nature Cancer study on myeloid-derived TGFβ1 and oncostatin M from the journal's website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News-Medical.
