title: Lung microenvironment promotes the metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells to the lungs.
abstract: Cancer metastasis is a highly tissue-specific and organ-selective process. It has been shown that the affected tissues and/or organs play a major role in this complex process. The lung is the most common target organ of extrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis, but the precise molecular mechanism underlying this organ-specific metastasis remains unclear. We hypothesized that lung microenvironment was able to promote the metastasis of HCC cells to the lungs leading to distant metastases. In support of our hypothesis, we provided evidence from targeted metastasis in various types of cancer and contributing factors in the microenvironment of targeted tissues/organs. A better understanding of the steps involved in the interplay between HCC cells and lung microenvironment may offer new perspectives for the medical management of lung metastases of HCC.
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command PLA, Kuming 650032, Yunnan, China.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Jin
authors: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China.
authors: Junhua
authors: J
authors: Ai
authors: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Shi
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; lung; microenvironment; targeted metastasis; tissue factors