title: [Liver metastases: pathogenesis and oncogenesis].
abstract: Liver metastases are most often caused by colorectal cancer, followed by pancreatic and breast cancer. Metastasis constitutes the last step of malignant tumor progression. Molecular investigations point towards an important role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a mechanism of local invasion and distant metastasis formation. Furthermore, the existence of a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSC) could be demonstrated in solid tumors. Recent observations show a dynamic induction of CSC properties by EMT. Therefore, theoretically migrating cancer stem cells (MCSC) can be induced which form the basis for the development of distant metastases.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg i. Br., Hugstetter Strasse 55, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: U F
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Wellner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brabletz
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D051176:beta Catenin