Mechanisms in epithelial plasticity and metastasis: insights from 3D cultures and expression profiling.

摘要: Most human tumors are of epithelial origin (carcinomas) and metastases from such lead to <80% all cancer deaths. In contrast aberrant control proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, lifespan, mechanisms involved in local invasion metastasis still insufficiently understood. We will review a set (often conflicting) vitro/in vivo data that suggest the existence several types plasticity changes towards fibroblastoid, invasive phenotype, which increasingly emerge as crucial events during metastasis. New cellular models were identified, form organotypic structures under near-physiological 3D-culture conditions vitro well tumors/metastases vivo. these models, key proteins signaling pathways identified (e.g., TGFβ, ERK/MAPK, PI3K, PDGF), specify distinct correlated with steps progression The phenotypes is also strongly suggested by expression profiling polysome-bound mRNA, yielding better representation proteome than conventional profiling.