Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Metastasis

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Hallmarks and correlates of effective adoptive cell immunotherapy for cancer.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026

Same author

All-trans retinoic acid destabilizes ADAR1 protein through retinoylation-mediated USP7 dissociation and improves immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Rethinking immune states in brain metastasis.

Cancer cell·2026

Same author

(Giga)TIME for the era of AI: virtual multiplex immunofluorescence from routine H&E for large populations.

Signal transduction and targeted therapy·2026

Same author

Identification of HLA class II-restricted T cell receptors against shared PIK3CA mutations in patients with epithelial cancers.

Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII·2025

Same author

Facts and Hopes for Neoantigen-Enriched TIL.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 10, 2026

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

Brain metastasis: Unique challenges and open opportunities.

Frank J Lowery¹, Dihua Yu¹

¹Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Reviews on Cancer

|December 13, 2016

Summary

Brain metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS) is a major challenge. This review discusses models and the brain microenvironment

Keywords:

Brain metastasis Cancer models Central nervous system Metabolism Tumor-microenvironment interaction

More Related Videos

Quantifying the Brain Metastatic Tumor Micro-Environment using an Organ-On-A Chip 3D Model, Machine Learning, and Confocal Tomography

Quantifying the Brain Metastatic Tumor Micro-Environment using an Organ-On-A Chip 3D Model, Machine Learning, and Confocal Tomography

Published on: August 16, 2020

Practical Considerations in Studying Metastatic Lung Colonization in Osteosarcoma Using the Pulmonary Metastasis Assay

Practical Considerations in Studying Metastatic Lung Colonization in Osteosarcoma Using the Pulmonary Metastasis Assay

Published on: March 12, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 10, 2026

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

A Robust Discovery Platform for the Identification of Novel Mediators of Melanoma Metastasis

Published on: March 8, 2022

Quantifying the Brain Metastatic Tumor Micro-Environment using an Organ-On-A Chip 3D Model, Machine Learning, and Confocal Tomography

Quantifying the Brain Metastatic Tumor Micro-Environment using an Organ-On-A Chip 3D Model, Machine Learning, and Confocal Tomography

Published on: August 16, 2020

Practical Considerations in Studying Metastatic Lung Colonization in Osteosarcoma Using the Pulmonary Metastasis Assay

Practical Considerations in Studying Metastatic Lung Colonization in Osteosarcoma Using the Pulmonary Metastasis Assay

Published on: March 12, 2018

Area of Science:

Oncology
Neuroscience
Cancer Biology

Background:

Cancer metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS) significantly reduces patient survival.
Research is hampered by the complexity of brain metastasis and challenges in modeling it within the unique brain microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the clinical challenges of brain metastasis.
To compare existing models for studying brain metastasis.
To explore how brain metastases exploit the brain microenvironment and its metabolic characteristics.

Main Methods:

Literature review of clinical data on brain metastasis.
Comparative analysis of current brain metastasis research models.
Discussion of the brain's unique metabolic and chemical properties in relation to metastasis.

Main Results:

Brain metastasis presents a significant clinical hurdle with poor survival rates.
Existing models have limitations in accurately replicating the brain metastatic process.
The brain microenvironment offers both barriers and resources for metastatic cell growth.

Conclusions:

Understanding how metastases interact with the brain microenvironment is crucial.
Innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches are needed to overcome challenges in brain metastasis research.
Targeting the unique aspects of the brain environment may offer new therapeutic strategies.