title: Ecological paradigms to understand the dynamics of metastasis.
abstract: The process by which prostate cancer cells non-randomly disseminate to the bone to form lethal metastases remains unknown. Metastasis is the ultimate consequence of the long-range dispersal of a cancer cell from the primary tumor to a distant secondary site. In order to metastasize, the actively emigrating cell must move. Movement ecology describes an individual's migration between habitats without the requirement of conscious decision-making. Specifically, this paradigm describes four interacting components that influence the dynamic process of metastasis: (1) the microenvironmental pressures exerted on the cancer cell, (2) how the individual cell reacts to these external pressures, (3) the phenotypic switch of a cell to gain the physical traits required for movement, and (4) the ability of the cancer cell to navigate to a specific site. A deeper understanding of each of these components will lead to the development of novel therapeutics targeted to interrupt previously unidentified steps of metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N Wolfe St., Marburg Building rm 105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: samend2@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Amend
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N Wolfe St., Marburg Building rm 105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Sounak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and UIC Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, USA; Cancer Biology and Evolution, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
authors.forename: Joel S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N Wolfe St., Marburg Building rm 105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pienta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D002465:Cell Movement; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018832:Molecular Chaperones
keywords: Dispersal; Epithelial–mesenchymal-transition; Homing; Metastasis; Microenvironment; Transmogrification