Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However, invadopodia can...
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration01:21

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon towards...
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

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...
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II  is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A multimodal adaptive optical microscope for in vivo imaging from molecules to organisms.

Nature methods·2026
Same author

Sensory neurons inhibit invadopodia and metastasis via direct CGRP-RAMP1-cAMP signaling to cancer cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

The sleeping threat: targeting cancer dormancy to transform metastasis therapy.

Nature reviews. Cancer·2026
Same author

Metastasis on pause: How dormant tumor cells stay hidden within the tumor microenvironment and evade immune surveillance.

Molecular oncology·2026
Same author

A New Single-Chain, Genetically Encoded Biosensor for RhoB GTPase Based on FRET, Useful for Live-Cell Imaging.

Cells·2026
Same author

Acting on Dormancy: The Interplay Between the Actin Cytoskeleton and Tumor Cell Dormancy.

Cancer research·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Modeling and Imaging 3-Dimensional Collective Cell Invasion
07:08

Modeling and Imaging 3-Dimensional Collective Cell Invasion

Published on: December 7, 2011

Directed cell invasion and migration during metastasis.

Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero1, Louis Hodgson, John Condeelis

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY 10461, United States. jose-javier.bravo@einstein.yu.edu

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|January 3, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Metastasis involves tumor cells spreading to new organs. Understanding the molecular coordination of cell movement, particularly small GTPases, is key to blocking this process and developing new anti-cancer drugs.

More Related Videos

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
09:55

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Published on: June 1, 2014

Analysis of Cell Migration within a Three-dimensional Collagen Matrix
08:02

Analysis of Cell Migration within a Three-dimensional Collagen Matrix

Published on: October 5, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Modeling and Imaging 3-Dimensional Collective Cell Invasion
07:08

Modeling and Imaging 3-Dimensional Collective Cell Invasion

Published on: December 7, 2011

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
09:55

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Published on: June 1, 2014

Analysis of Cell Migration within a Three-dimensional Collagen Matrix
08:02

Analysis of Cell Migration within a Three-dimensional Collagen Matrix

Published on: October 5, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Metastasis, the spread of cancer cells, is a complex process.
  • Tumor cell dissemination requires coordinated cell motility, including protrusion, chemotaxis, invasion, and contractility.
  • Small GTPases play a crucial role in regulating these cellular activities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular coordination of tumor cell dissemination.
  • To understand the role of small GTPases in directed cell migration during metastasis.
  • To identify molecular targets for anti-metastasis drug development.

Main Methods:

  • Direct visualization of cellular pathways involved in actin polymerization.
  • Studying invasion and directed migration in dissemination-competent tumor cells.
  • Analyzing the spatial and temporal activities of small GTPases.

Main Results:

  • Recent studies highlight the role of small GTPases in coordinating cell motility during dissemination.
  • Elucidation of pathways involved in actin polymerization, invasion, and directed migration is ongoing.
  • Direct visualization techniques are crucial for understanding these complex processes.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the molecular basis of tumor cell dissemination is essential for developing effective anti-metastasis therapies.
  • Targeting the coordinated activities of small GTPases offers a promising strategy for blocking metastasis.
  • Further research using direct visualization will aid in designing more specific and selective anti-cancer drugs.