Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Intracarotid Cancer Cell Injection to Produce Mouse Models of Brain Metastasis
07:43

Intracarotid Cancer Cell Injection to Produce Mouse Models of Brain Metastasis

Published on: February 8, 2017

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of metastasis as applied to carcinomatous meningitis

M Mareel1, A Leroy, M Bracke

  • 1Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Gent, Belgium.

Journal of Neuro-Oncology
|August 8, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells and bacteria can spread to the subarachnoidal space (SAS), causing meningitis. Host cell interactions, particularly leukocytes and cytokines, are crucial in this process, influencing disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Cancer cells and bacteria can invade the subarachnoidal space (SAS), leading to meningitis.
  • Primary brain tumors spread via cerebrospinal fluid, affecting the meninges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cancer and bacterial dissemination in the SAS.
  • To model the role of host cell interactions in meningitis development.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of molecular crosstalk between invaders and host cells.
  • Investigation of invasion-promoter and invasion-suppressor complexes.
  • Modeling inflammatory cascades initiated by bacterial products.

Main Results:

  • Host cell participation, including leukocytes and cytokines, is central to carcinomatous and bacterial meningitis.
  • Bacterial breakdown products activate endothelial cells, promoting leukocyte extravasation.
  • Inflammatory cascades open the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, facilitating further invasion.

Conclusions:

  • Host cell interactions are key determinants in meningitis, regardless of the causative agent (cancer or bacteria).
  • A proposed model highlights the cascade from bacterial activation to blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier disruption.

More Related Videos

Modeling Brain Metastasis by Internal Carotid Artery Injection of Cancer Cells10:01

Modeling Brain Metastasis by Internal Carotid Artery Injection of Cancer Cells

Published on: August 2, 2022

Minimally Invasive Cisterna Magna Injection Model for Leptomeningeal Metastasis Studies in Mice07:14

Minimally Invasive Cisterna Magna Injection Model for Leptomeningeal Metastasis Studies in Mice

Published on: May 23, 2025

Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Metastasis02:30

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...
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology01:26

Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology

Bacterial meningitis typically begins when pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonize the nasopharynx and invade the bloodstream. This process is facilitated by bacterial virulence factors, such as polysaccharide capsules, which resist phagocytosis and complement-mediated killing. Less commonly, bacteria reach the central nervous system via contiguous spread from infections like otitis media or sinusitis, through congenital or acquired dural defects, or...