Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have discovered that cancer-induced blood clots originate from signals in the lungs, not from other organs as previously thought. Tumors release chemokines that trigger lung immune cells to send out vesicles, which bind to platelets and form life-threatening clots.
The study found that pancreatic cancer produces high levels of the chemokine CXCL13, influencing clot formation even from a distance. Blocking a key adhesion molecule in mice prevented clots without causing excessive bleeding, offering a potential new treatment for at-risk cancer patients.
These findings may lead to diagnostic tests and safer therapies targeting clot formation at its source. With blood clots being a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, this breakthrough could improve patient survival rates.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].