825-3D Morphogenetic Blueprint of Breast Cancer Metastasis

Paper Talk · Apr 20, 2026 · 27m

This research identifies a specific 3D morphogenetic blueprint called Metastatic Trabecular Morphogenesis (MTM) that is essential for breast cancer spread. By utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and AI-supported 3D imaging, scientists discovered that aggressive cancer cells reactivate fetal developmental programs to build complex, branching lattices of epithelial cords. These MTM-high states are not unique to distant sites but actually pre-exist in primary tumors that are destined to metastasize, serving as a powerful prognostic indicator. The study pinpointed the ETV1/4/5 transcription…