[Recent progress and new directions in the study of molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis]

Metastatic cancers are major mortal diseases in Japan. To develop precise prognostic means and effective prevention therapies for malignant diseases, molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis have to be elucidated. As it is necessary to coordinate metastasis research activities in various scientific fields, the Japanese Association for Metastasis Research has been established. The society plays an important role in the information exchange and the collaboration establishment among experimental and clinical investigators. Recent progress is observed in the development of experimental and spontaneous metastasis models including orthotopic implantation of human cancers and artificial bone metastasis models, using mice. A significant progress has been made in the study of angiogenesis. Angiogenesis inhibition is now believed to be the most-effective therapeutic approach for metastasis prevention. The investigation of metastasis-associated genes have also advanced. Most of such gene products appeared to be involved in the signal transduction and associated with the cytoskeletal network. Further investigations will lead us to the exploitation of therapeutic means against angiogenesis and metastasis, in the near future.