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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Measuring Bone Remodeling and Recreating the Tumor-Bone Microenvironment Using Calvaria Co-culture and Histomorphometry
Published on: March 14, 2020
The role of the bone microenvironment in skeletal metastasis
Yu Zheng1, Hong Zhou2, Colin R Dunstan3
1Bone 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.
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.
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