This study was performed with a general goal for a better understanding of cell morphologies that make it difficult to treat cancer patients. The different shapes of the cells cause them to behave differently because of their cell signaling systems. The tumor cells can be either rounded or elongated. It was found that “the therapies that targeted the Rho or ROCK function are more likely to be most effective at preventing the invasive behavior of tumor cells that use rounded mobility.” Because the Rho function is important for the migration of the rounded cells, a treatment that would inhibit the cell signaling in the Rho would keep the cancerous cell from moving, thus severely slowing the growth of the cancer. The elongated cells do not use the Rho function for cell signaling, so using a treatment that targets the Rho in the elongated cells would not accomplish much.

Tumor cells can also change the shape of movement that they use, so these inhibitors that stop the signaling in the cells may not be as effective as hoped. Though they would stop the rounded cells, the cells might be able to switch to an elongated shape and continue in their migration to other areas of the tissues. There are other methods, though, that would cause elongated cells to switch to the rounded cell shape for their migration. Sahai and Marshall are hoping that with further research, these two treatments may be combined to stop the migration of the cancerous cells and be a realistic, useable treatment for cancer in the future.

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