By forming clots in tumors, immune cell aids lung cancer's spread

(UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center) In the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center report that for a particular subset of lung cancer tumors, there is a high prevalence of immune cells called inflammatory monocytes. These immune cells, which normally help to build clotting scaffolds to promote wound healing, also make it possible for tumor cells to migrate and spread to other parts of the body.