Breast cancer cells cause tumors in the brain in the form of neurons

It is proven that breast cancer cells can be found in later years in the brain, in the form of neurons and causing brain tumor. Researchers discovered that breast cancer cells present in the form of neurons which enables these to hide from the immune system and cross the brain barrier where these begin to form brain tumors. The study leader is Rahul Jandial, M.D., Ph.D., neurosurgeon at the City of Hope and the paper was published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Science. Jandial and other scientists from the City of Hope tried to discover how breast cancer cells get into the blood-brain barrier. “Breast cancer cells can be cellular chameleons (or masquerade as neurons) and spread to the brain”, said Jandial. He also states that further research is needed for exactly understanding the mechanisms which enable breast cancer cells to get into the brain.