Forcing through Tumor Metastasis: The Interplay between Tissue Rigidity and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.
The mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment have been increasingly recognized as potent modulators of cell behavior and function. In particular, tissue rigidity is functionally important during tumor progression. In this review, we survey recent advances in our understanding of the role of tissue rigidity in tumor progression and metastasis, the mechanisms by which mechanical cues integrate with biochemical signals from the microenvironment, and the underlying mechanotransduction pathways involved in tumor progression. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and defining cellular mechanotransduction pathways and the breadth of signals derived from the tumor microenvironment that influence tumor progression.
Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0819, USA; The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0819, USA; Current address: Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 7455 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Spencer C
SC
Wei
Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0819, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0819, USA; Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0819, USA. Electronic address: jingyang@ucsd.edu.
Jing
J
Yang
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D010539:Permeability; D057705:Transendothelial and Transepithelial Migration; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology
EMT; extracellular matrix; matrix stiffness; metastasis; tissue rigidity