Directed cell invasion and migration during metastasis.
Metastasis requires tumor cell dissemination to different organs from the primary tumor. Dissemination is a complex cell motility phenomenon that requires the molecular coordination of the protrusion, chemotaxis, invasion and contractility activities of tumor cells to achieve directed cell migration. Recent studies of the spatial and temporal activities of the small GTPases have begun to elucidate how this coordination is achieved. The direct visualization of the pathways involved in actin polymerization, invasion and directed migration in dissemination competent tumor cells will help identify the molecular basis of dissemination and allow the design and testing of more specific and selective drugs to block metastasis.
Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY 10461, United States. jose-javier.bravo@einstein.yu.edu
Jose Javier
JJ
Bravo-Cordero
Louis
L
Hodgson
John
J
Condeelis
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement; D002633:Chemotaxis; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology