Entosis: it's a cell-eat-cell world.
In this issue, Overholtzer et al. (2007) describe a new nonapoptotic cell death pathway termed "entosis" in mammary epithelial cells that have detached from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Given that surviving detachment from the ECM is an event associated with the progression of epithelial cancers, entosis--along with apoptosis--may contribute to tumor suppression by promoting the elimination of cancer cells.
White
Eileen
E
Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, 679 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. ewhite@cabm.rutgers.edu
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological