How cancer that spread to the brain changes nearby immune cells in lab tests
Original title: The paracrine effects of tumor cells on endothelial cells and macrophages in brain metastases with different primary sites.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was only done with cells in a lab dish.
The short version
In lab dishes, some cancers that spread to the brain changed immune cells in a way that may help the tumor.
What was studied. Researchers took tumor cells from brain tumors that had spread from melanoma, lung cancer, or gut cancer. They used cells from 2 patients per type. In lab dishes, they tested how these cells changed blood vessel cells and immune cells called macrophages.
What they found. The tumor cells did not directly change the blood vessel cells. Cells from lung and gut cancers pushed the immune cells into a state that may help tumors grow, but melanoma cells did not. These changed immune cells also slowed down T cells, which help the body fight disease.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This may help explain why brain tumors that come from different cancers can act differently. In time, it could guide research on treatments aimed at these immune cells.
What it doesn't mean: This was done only with cells in lab dishes, using samples from very few patients. It is not a new treatment, and it is far from everyday care. It is not a cure, and much more research is needed first.
Source: PubMed, August 26, 2026 · Read the original
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