Red forest

Many primary cancers spread via the bloodstream to distant organs like the liver and the lungs through a process known as metastasis, which usually has dire implications for patient survival.

But the mechanisms by which cancer cells are able to leave blood vessels to colonise, spread and grow into secondary tumours in other tissues are not well understood.

Sabrina’s research is examining tumour cells in the lungs and how they interact with blood vessels. Her video takes us around and through the forest of blood vessels in a lung, brought to life in three dimensions through the use of a fluorescent dye and a light-sheet microscope.

Ultimately, the research is aimed at informing the search for new cancer therapies that could prevent metastasis by modifying the interaction between vessels and cancer cells.