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2000
Volume 12, Issue 11
  • ISSN: 1389-2010
  • E-ISSN: 1873-4316

Abstract

Despite more than a century of research in metastasis, the majority of cancer patients succumb due to complications of metastatic disease. It seems surprising that there remain so many questions related to the biology of metastasis. It is expected that a better understanding of the metastatic process will allow the development of specific therapies, improving the quality of life and extending the survival of cancer patients. In this special issue of Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology we provide to a broad spectrum of readers with several reviews that bring together the most recent findings about metastasis. Gueron and co-workers focus their review on the key events responsible for the metastasis of tumors. They examine novel gene signatures identified in metastases, central inflammatory factors, mechanisms of cell plasticity and the role of microRNAs. They also point to new tools developed for cancer diagnostics and treatment, such as nanoparticle imaging and bioinformatic analysis of metastasis-related proteins. Gomes et al. as well as Krasnapolski and colleagues discuss a very hot topic in cancer research: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). We largely accept that extensive tumor-stromal interactions and cross-talk are required to coordinate the multiple events of the metastatic cascade. Carlini and co-workers brought together recent findings that highlight the relevance of the cross-talk between the malignant cells and the microenvironment in the metastatic target organ. The ability to leave the primary tumor and then grow another tumor indicates that stem cell properties are likely to be important, as discussed Leiros & Balana. The authors provide an extensive revision of the literature describing the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, and its possible role in the metastatic process. The present knowledge about the interactions between immune cells and tumors, particularly in the context of dissemination and metastasis development is revised by Croci & Salatino. They pay special attention to the latest information concerning several mechanisms involved in tumor immune evasion and the induction of distinct suppressive cells. A role of metalloproteinases (MMPs) in metastatic dissemination is widely accepted. Raffo and colleagues review all aspects of MMPs biology from the basic mechanisms of activation and actions to clinical applications. They discuss the results of clinical trials using MMPs inhibitors and therapeutic possibilities for the future. Given that primary tumor formation and metastasis are distinct processes, underlying molecular processes would be different and distinguishable. My group reviews a new class of molecules that reduces the metastatic propensity: metastasis suppressors. Finally, two reviews focused on therapeutic aspects of metastasis are included. In the first, Coluccio Leskow and collaborators describes the mechanistic theory behind the therapeutic potential of PKC inhibitors. In the second, Alonso and colleagues clearly review the benefits of a cancer peri-operative treatment with desmopressin (DDAVP), a vasopressin analog widely used in clinical settings. From the data presented in these reviews, we realize that considerable research to date has led to the identification of several aspects of the metastatic dissemination. However, we should keep in mind that although substantial progress has been made, great efforts are still needed to advance to the clinical setting. Therefore, I hope that this special issue of Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology will be useful to those readers already working on metastasis, stimulating discussion and further studies, but mainly serving to attract new researchers from other fields interested in exploring new therapeutic applications to target metastatic disease.

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/content/journals/cpb/10.2174/138920111798376897
2011-11-01
2025-07-17
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  • Article Type:
    Research Article
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