title: Factors regulating basement membrane invasion by tumor cells.
abstract: Basement membranes serve as significant barriers to the passage of tumor cells but ones which metastatic cells can pass. This involves the production of a cascade of proteases leading to the activation of a specific collagenase that degrades the unique collagen network in basement membrane. Breast cancer cells, when estrogen dependent, show a requirement for estrogen for invasive activity. However, when these cells progress to an estrogen independent state and increased malignancy, they express an invasive phenotype constitutively. Studies with various anti-estrogens suggest that these responses are mediated via the estrogen receptor. Anti-estrogens lacking agonist activity suppress invasiveness as well as growth of the breast cancer cells.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albini
mesh_terms: D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000737:chemistry; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000737:chemistry; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000502:physiology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D003094:Collagen; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D007797:Laminin; D003012:Microbial Collagenase; D010960:Plasminogen Activators