TGFbeta primes breast tumor cells for metastasis.
The microenvironment of a tumor is known to influence tumor progression and spread to distant sites (metastasis). Padua et al. (2008) now show that transient exposure of breast cancer cells to the signaling molecule transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) promotes their extravasation from blood vessels and entry into the lung by upregulation of the adipokine angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4). Their work shows that the later stages of metastasis can be influenced by transient signals produced in the primary tumor microenvironment.
Welm
Alana L
AL
Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. alana.welm@hci.utah.edu
D000075803:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 4; D042682:Angiopoietins; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C474772:ANGPTL4 protein, human; D000075803:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 4; D042682:Angiopoietins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta