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Analyzing the metastatic phenotype
Author(s) -
Price Janet E.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.240560105
Subject(s) - metastasis , cancer , phenotype , cancer research , biology , primary tumor , population , cancer cell , pathology , medicine , gene , genetics , environmental health
The dissemination of cells from a primary tumor, resulting in the progressive growth of metastatic carcinoma in distant sites, is the most common cuse of death of cancer patients. The observations from clinical studies and the results of experimental studies using rodent tumors and human cancer cells implanted into immunodeficient host animals suggest that metastasis is not a random event, but rather the result of a sequence of selective events, many of which involve interactions with elements of the microenvironment of the primay and metastatic tumors. Analysis of the metastatic potential of a human tumor cell population has been greatly improved by the introduction of orthotopic models of tumor growth and metastasis, which have demonstrated that implanting human tumor cells into the appropriate tissue in an immunodeficient rodent can increase both tumor take and incidence of metastasis. This will be the models that should be used to validate the identity of candidate metastasis‐associated genes, and determine the value of new forms of therapy, either genetic of pharmacological, for controlling metastatic cancer growth.