Extracellular vesicle discovery may shed light on how cancer spreads

A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (The Institute) have discovered a new type of extracellular vesicle released by migrating cancer cells, revealing a previously unknown way in which these cells shed their DNA as they move. Published today in the journal Nature Cell Biology, the findings show that these cells release tiny structures called motile vesicles (MoVes), which carry their genetic material, including cancer-associated mutations. The discovery raises important questions about the role these vesicles may play in cancer progression.