BIOL 1F25 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Cell Adhesion, Metastasis, Endothelium
27 Nov 2016
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Angiogenesis is stimulated by cancer cells that induce reduced concentrations of inhibitors or increased concentrations of activators of vascular endothelial cell division. Mutations in genes such as p53 result in these changes. Tissue invasion and metastasis: cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and blood vessels, cancer cells are transported by the circulatory system to distant sites, cancer cells re-invade and grow at new location. Importance: metastatic tumours cause 90% of human cancer deaths. Invasion and metastasis appear to invade the same mechanisms. Extensive information on the mechanisms, however, is lacking. In short, we really do not understand how these events occur. Changes in cell to cell and cell to substance adhesions are very important in cancer invasion and metastasis. Normal cells adhere tightly to each other and to extracellular materials. Cancer cells do not stick together or adhere to substrate. Normal cells stretch out and bind to proteins and each other.
