Phalanx cells help fight cancer

Our blood vessels have a built-in rescue-mechanism that springs into action when there is insufficient oxygen in our tissues. VIB scientists at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven have now discovered that this mechanism can be mobilized in the battle against cancer. When there is a shortage of oxygen, the cells lining the inner wall of blood vessels acquire a different shape, and they behave differently, too. The researchers have named this new appearance a phalanx cell. This newly discovered mechanism offers new possibilities for the treatment of cancer as well as of other disorders that are accompanied by a shortage in oxygen, such as certain heart diseases and age-related blindness. Video streamed by http://www.AllthingsScience.com