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Characterization of the Effects of Migrastatic Inhibitors on 3D Tumor Spheroid Invasion by High-resolution Confocal Microscopy
Published on: September 16, 2019
Migrastatics-Anti-metastatic and Anti-invasion Drugs: Promises and Challenges
Aneta Gandalovičová1, Daniel Rosel1, Michael Fernandes2
1Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic; Biotechnology and Biomedicine Centre of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University (BIOCEV), Průmyslová 595, 25242, Vestec u Prahy, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
In solid cancers, invasion and metastasis account for more than 90% of mortality. However, in the current armory of anticancer therapies, a specific category of anti-invasion and antimetastatic drugs is missing. Here, we coin the term 'migrastatics' for drugs interfering with all modes of cancer cell invasion and metastasis, to distinguish this class from conventional cytostatic drugs, which are mainly directed against cell proliferation. We define actin polymerization and contractility as target mechanisms for migrastatics, and review candidate migrastatic drugs. Critical assessment of these antimetastatic agents is warranted, because they may define new options for the treatment of solid cancers.
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