VIDEO | 00:10
The ability to change shape helps protect metastatic cells from the immune system. These cancer cells can reorganize their cytoskeleton in response to specific environmental cues, giving them a more relaxed, round shape. When they are round, like the cell on the left, they have much lower surface tension and it’s harder for immune cells to destroy them. The video was recorded by Dr. Zhenghan Wang of the Massagué Lab at MSK’s Molecular Cytology Core Facility.