title: Intravital microscopy in tumor biology - current status and future perspectives (review).
abstract: To date, most progress in biomedical research is reported from cellular and/or molecular studies identifying important disease mechanisms and suggesting novel strategies in cancer therapy. Although these findings are fundamental for the understanding and treatment of neoplastic disease they often fail to be demonstrable in vivo. Many tumors resist complete eradication by anti-cancer agents indicating that caution has to be exercised in the extrapolation of in vitro observations to the clinical situation. This review emphasizes intravital microscopy as a quantitative method to analyze in vivo mechanisms of neoplastic disease and to test the in vivo function of novel strategies in cancer therapy derived from in vitro observations. Intravital microscopy facilitates a comprehensive analysis of the tumor microcirculation and microenvironment which should aid to improve the current understanding of tumor biology.
authors.affiliation: UNIV MUNICH,KLINIKUM GROSSHADERN,INST SURG RES,D-81366 MUNICH,GERMANY.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leunig
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messmer