The tumor microenvironment and metastatic disease
Sarah Jane Lunt1, Naz Chaudary, Richard P Hill
1Applied Molecular Oncology, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, OCI/PMH, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Clinical & Experimental Metastasis
|June 11, 2008
Summary
Solid tumor microenvironments, characterized by hypoxia and altered pH, drive cancer metastasis. Understanding tumor-extracellular matrix interactions is key to developing new anti-metastasis therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Tumor Microenvironment Research
Background:
- Solid tumors present a complex microenvironment with acidic pH, low nutrients, high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), and fluctuating oxygen levels due to abnormal vasculature.
- Tumor cell metastasis is influenced by interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM), which can be altered by genetic changes and microenvironment-induced gene expression.
- Hypoxic conditions within tumors are increasingly recognized as a significant factor promoting metastatic efficiency through altered gene expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epigenetic and physiological regulation of cancer metastasis.
- To highlight the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM) in metastasis.
- To emphasize the need for further research into TME-ECM interactions and their impact on metastatic processes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on epigenetic and physiological regulation of metastasis.
- Analysis of existing clinical and experimental evidence on tumor microenvironment factors.
- Synthesis of research on hypoxia-responsive genes involved in angiogenesis, invasion, and survival.
Main Results:
- Hypoxia-responsive genes are implicated in key metastatic processes like angiogenesis and extravasation.
- Genetic and epigenetic factors, alongside microenvironmental cues, contribute to metastatic determinant identification.
- Altered gene expression in response to the hypoxic microenvironment significantly contributes to increased metastatic efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The tumor microenvironment, particularly hypoxia, plays a critical role in regulating cancer metastasis.
- Interactions between tumor cells, the extracellular matrix, and the pathophysiological microenvironment are crucial for metastasis.
- Further investigation into these complex interactions is essential for advancing our understanding and treatment of cancer metastasis.
More Related Videos
09:44Generation of Organ-conditioned Media and Applications for Studying Organ-specific Influences on Breast Cancer Metastatic Behavior
Published on: June 13, 2016
09:53Quantifying the Brain Metastatic Tumor Micro-Environment using an Organ-On-A Chip 3D Model, Machine Learning, and Confocal Tomography
Published on: August 16, 2020
Related Concept Videos
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
02:30Metastasis
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...