title: Invasive growth: a MET-driven genetic programme for cancer and stem cells.
abstract: Metastasis follows the inappropriate activation of a genetic programme termed invasive growth, which is a physiological process that occurs during embryonic development and post-natal organ regeneration. Burgeoning evidence indicates that invasive growth is also executed by stem and progenitor cells, and is usurped by cancer stem cells. The MET proto-oncogene, which is expressed in both stem and cancer cells, is a key regulator of invasive growth. Recent findings indicate that the MET tyrosine-kinase receptor is a sensor of adverse microenvironmental conditions (such as hypoxia) and drives cell invasion and metastasis through the transcriptional activation of a set of genes that control blood coagulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCC), University of Turin Medical School, Str. Prov. 142, 10060 Candiolo, Italy. carla.boccaccio@ircc.it
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boccaccio
authors.forename: Paolo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Comoglio
mesh_terms: D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; C491743:MET protein, human; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met