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Updated: May 12, 2026

Three-Dimensional (3D) Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay
Published on: May 1, 2015
Integrin signalling during tumour progression
Wenjun Guo1, Filippo G Giancotti
1Cell Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Sloan-Kettering Institute Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. guow@mkscc.org
Abstract:
During progression from tumour growth to metastasis, specific integrin signals enable cancer cells to detach from neighbouring cells, re-orientate their polarity during migration, and survive and proliferate in foreign microenvironments. There is increasing evidence that certain integrins associate with receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to activate signalling pathways that are necessary for tumour invasion and metastasis. The effect of these integrins might be especially important in cancer cells that have activating mutations, or amplifications, of the genes that encode these RTKs.
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