title: The role of the bone microenvironment in skeletal metastasis.
abstract: The bone microenvironment provides a fertile soil for cancer cells. It is therefore not surprising that the skeleton is a frequent site of cancer metastasis. It is believed that reciprocal interactions between tumour and bone cells, known as the "vicious cycle of bone metastasis" support the establishment and orchestrate the expansion of malignant cancers in bone. While the full range of molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis to bone remain to be elucidated, recent research has deepened our understanding of the cell-mediated processes that may be involved in cancer cell survival and growth in bone. This review aims to address the importance of the bone microenvironment in skeletal cancer metastasis and discusses potential therapeutic implications of novel insights.
authors.affiliation: Bone Research Program, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Bone Research Program, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Bone Research Program, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Dunstan
authors.affiliation: The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: Bone Research Program, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia; Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Concord Hospital, Concord, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia.
authors.forename: Markus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Seibel
keywords: Bone metastasis; Bone microenvironment; Bone remodelling; Cancer