Cancer Cells Destroy Choroid Plexus Vessels With ‘5-HIAA,’ Opening a Path for Brain Metastasis

A new mechanism by which cancer cells metastasize to the leptomeninges of the brain has been identified in the international journal Nature Cancer (IF 28.5). The mechanism involves 5-HIAA-containing extracellular vesicles secreted by cancer cells damaging blood vessels in the choroid plexus, helping cancer cells more easily infiltrate the cerebrospinal fluid. The study suggests the potential for a new treatment strategy to block the early stages of leptomeningeal metastasis by controlling 5-HIAA.