[Types of tumor cells movement]
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

A Simple Migration/Invasion Workflow Using an Automated Live-cell Imager
Published on: February 2, 2019
Agnieszka Popow-Woźniak1, Dorota Nowak, Maria Malicka-Błaszkiewicz
1Zakład Patologii Komórki, Wydział Biotechnologii, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Wrocław. apopow@ibmb.uni.wroc.pl
Abstract:
Problems in successful cancer therapy result from an adaptive character and high plasticity in tumor cells behaviour. Their accommodation to a differentiated environment is preceded by an alteration in expression profile of several proteins. Three types of tumor cell migration were characterized so far: mezenchymal, ameboid and collective. In mezechymal and ameboid types of tumor cell migration, cells move individually. Collective type of migration to a bigger extend presents characteristics of the mezenchymal one. Diverse types of tumor cell locomotion differ with cell protrutions and signaling pathways that control those processes. Mezenchymal type of movement is regulated by Cdc42 kinase. Cells that move in this manner present elongated shape with distinctly exposed lamellipodium and adhere to ECM proteins. Cellular membrane blebbing of pseudopodial character appear in ameboid type of movement. This one is under Rho/ROCK signal transduction cascade control. Our review focuses on description of different movement types and mechanisms of their regulation.
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