The vascular niche: an orchestrator of the spatiotemporal dynamics of distant metastasis

Emerging evidence highlights that tumor metastasis is critically regulated by key dynamic vascular components, including endothelial cells (ECs) and pericytes, which engage in persistent intercellular crosstalk, both with one another and with other cell types in the tumor microenvironment. These interactions drive not only the structural and functional remodeling of vessels but also the assembly of immunosuppressive clusters that support metastatic dissemination. By synthesizing recent advances, this review aims to establish a new conceptual framework focused on spatiotemporal dynamics and functional interactions within the vascular niche. This framework elucidates the mechanisms through which vascular components dynamically evolve and cooperate to drive metastasis.