Scientists discover new organ in humans that can be cause of cancer spread
Scientists have just discovered a new organ in our body, which was never even known of before and could probably explain why cancer spreads across our body.
The organ called interstitium is the latest edition to our list of human organs. The reason it has now been discovered is because of the latest technology, as the scientists were able to better examine the living tissues at a microscopic scale.
It was already known that there is a thick and compact layer of connective tissue that surrounds our organs. During a routine endoscopy, the micro-camera discovered the connective tissue to be ‘an open, fluid-filled space supported by a lattice made of thick collagen bundles,’ study author Neil Theise informed Research Gate.
According to the study published in Scientific Reports, the tissue’s network is present across the body and functions like a soft, elastic cushion that protects the organs from external shocks as the human body moves, reported Futurism.
Meet Your 'Interstitium,' A Newfound Organ https://t.co/X2oLz8DHe5 pic.twitter.com/SW2kuwS4pB
— Live Science (@LiveScience) March 27, 2018
Scientists discover new hidden features of lungs
However, Theise worries that because of taking samples to study the tissue, the organ’s shape has been changed, “Just taking a bite of tissue from this space allows the fluid in the space to drain and the supporting collagen bundles to collapse like the floors of a collapsing building.”
The scientists claim that the interstitium is not only the ‘space between cells’. It should be labeled as a proper organ due to its exclusive traits and structure, which are ‘highly specific and dependent on the unique structures and cell types that form it.’
Though the more knowledge about human body, the better yet, scientists warn that these organs can also work against humans by permitting the cancerous cells to spread throughout the body. In a cancerous body, the cells can leave the tissues they were born in and pass into this newly discovered network of channels harming the lymphatic system. “Once they get in, it’s like they’re on a water slide. We have a new window on the mechanism of tumor spread,” expressed Theise to New Scientist.
The researchers further hope that this new discovery can lead to doctors detecting cancer at a much earlier stage.
Comments
Comments are closed.