9. Invasion and Metastasis Flashcards
what proportion of mortality is caused by metastasis?
90%
what is the major site of metastasis for colon cancer?
liver
do all circulating cancer cells form metastasis? why?
only some will form metastases because there are many steps that must occur
6 major steps in metastasis
- invasion and infiltration of surrounding normal host tissue
- release of neoplastic cells
- survival in circulation
- arrest in capillary beds of distant organs
- penetration of lymphatic or blood vessel walls
- growth of disseminated tumour cells
5 main changes for metastasis
- cell detachment
- invasion of stroma
- intravasation
- migration
- extravasation
5 things that occur for cell detachment
- cells acquire spindle shape for migration
- increased matrix-degrading proteinases
- increased growth factors in original and metastatic site
- decreased adhesion molecules
- decreased proteinase inhibitors
2 requirements for cells as they migrate
- resist immune cells in circulation
- anchor themselves via increased endothelial cell adhesion molecules
3 molecules upregulated for extravasation
- selectin ligands
- integrins
- matrix-degrading proteinases
what 2 things increase for metastases?
- increased cell-cell adhesion molecules
- increased growth factors
what ultimately determines the fate of metastasis?
microenvironment of primary and distant site
6 in vivo experimental models
- surgical biopsies
- histopathology, “omics”, RNAseq
- animal tumour models
- transgenic/KO/knockin mice
- patient-derived xenograft
- circulating tumour cells
what do histopathology, “omics”, and RNAseq tell us?
shows what primary tumour cells acquire/suppress to be able to grow at secondary site
4 types of animal tumour models
- induction by chemicals, oncogenic viruses
- transplantation
- spontaneous metastasis
- experimental metastasis
what is spontaneous metastasis in animal model?
put kidney tumour cells directly into kidney to see path of metastasis
what is experimental metastasis in animal model?
put kidney tumour cells in organ of later stages
describe patient-derived xenograft
immediately put patient cells in animal to keep tumour cells as close to origin as possible
how do we get circulating tumour cells?
aka liquid biopsy –> isolate cells in circulation that have shed from tumour
5 in vitro experimental models
- cell lines
- reconstituted tissue
- ECM models
- genetically altered cells
- PDX, organoids, slices
what happens at the primary site at beginning of invasion? (4)
- hyperplasia
- loss of polarity
- loss of tissue organization
- intact basement membrane
what happens during microinvasion?
proteolytic enzymes (MMP2, MMP9) break the basement membrane and cells begin migration
what does EMT stand for?
Epithelial –> Mesenchymal Transition
what does EMT allow for?
allows for cells to be motile
3 things that happen to cells during EMT?
- Lose organization
- Cell-cell contacts are disrupted
- Cells become immortalized
5 indications of EMT
- E-cadherin DOWNregulated
- Epithelial integrins DOWNregulated
- N-cadherin UPregulated
- Vimentin UPregulated
- Fibronectin UPregulated
what is the role of E-cadherin?
part of junctional complex holding epithelial cells together
what is the role of epithelial integrins?
receptor for basement membrane proteins
what is vimentin?
cytoskeletal protein unique to mesenchymal cells
what is the role of fibronectin?
migration track for cells
why do cells become spindle-shaped?
lets them migrate along fibronectin matrix
4 cellular adhesion molecules
- E-cadherin
- Ig superfamily with Ig domain (N-CAM)
- Mucin-like CAM
- Integrins
role of mucin-like CAM
binds selectins
normally expressed on blood vessels and immune cells
why does a metastasizing tumor cell express selectin?
so it can bind mucin-like CAM on blood vessels to allow for migration
what do integrins bind (3)
- ECM
- N-CAMs
- cadherins
3 roles of integrins
- adhesion
- polarity
- migration
what 2 CAMs have homophilic interactions?
- E-cadherin
- N-CAM
what 2 CAMs have heterophilic interactions?
- Mucin-like CAM
- Integrins
describe E-cadherin as a hallmark of EMT
DECREASED E-cadherin is a hallmark of EMT
assay showing decreased E-cadherin in EMT
induce EMT with Akt expression (Akt downstream of growth factor receptors)
before Akt (aka before EMT): E-cadherin is at cell boundary for cell-cell attachment
after Akt (aka after EMT): E-cadherin diffused thru cytoplasm so no cell-cell attachment
5 types of cadherins and locations
- Neural (neurons, muscle, endothelial cells)
- Epithelial
- Placental
- Retinal
- Endothelial
6 functions of cadherins
- mediate Ca2+ HOMOTYPIC cell-cell adhesion
- mediate cell sorting during embryogenesis
- form cellular junctions to form tissues so cells recognize each other
- establish cell polarity
- inhibit apoptosis
- activate/inhibit growth factor receptors
how do cadherins allow cells to recognize each other?
ex. cells expressing E-selectin will seek out other cells expressing E-selectin
how do cadherins change cell shape? (4 steps)
- extracellular domain binds p120
- p120 is stabilized at the membrane
- beta-catenin and alpha-catenin are recruited
- alpha-catenin binds actin to allow stretching of cells to give specific cell shape
cadherins act as a bridge btwn:
cadherins act as a bridge btwn cytoskeleton and extracellular environment
describe beta-catenin and its downstream function
pre-assembled in ER and acts as transcription factor for Wnt signaling –> important for development and embryogenesis
what do HAV-containing peptides do?
disrupt adhesion and trigger cell migration
describe cadherins and cancer
A. well-differentiated, poorly invasive adenomas have HIGH E-cadherin
B. invasive carcinomas have LOW E-cadherins
what causes reduced E-cadherin levels in invasive carcinomas? (4)
- transcriptional repression/inactivation
- DNA methylation
- mutations
- post-translational modification
what makes E-cadherin de-regulated?
phosphorylation of E-cadherin, beta-catenin, p120 by RTK
3 things that reduced E-cadherin leads to?
- increased cell motility
- increases invasion
- triggers beta-catenin/lymphoid enhancer binding factor (LEF1) regulated transcription
2 opposite roles of beta-catenin
- keeps cells attached via cadherin complex
- if E-cadherin decreases, beta-catenin is released and goes to nucleus to act as TF and cause EMT
how do integrins bind ECM?
via glycoproteins
2 types of glycoproteins
- fibronectins
- laminins
what is the ECM? its role?
web of proteins and carbohydrates at cell surface –> connect the cell exterior to cytoskeletal fibres on interior
how are integrins expressed?
always expressed as a complex, each with unique ligand specificity
what are beta3, 5, 6, and 8 integrin subunits for?
endothelial cell receptors that mediate angiogenesis
what does alpha5beta1 bind?
what does alpha2beta1 bind?
what does alpha6beta4 bind?
alpha5beta1 –> fibronectin
alpha2beta1 –> collagen
alpha6beta4 –> laminin
what is the first step of integrin signaling called?
INSIDE-OUT signaling
describe INSIDE-OUT signaling for integrin signaling (activation)
- integrin starts out inactive –> folded over PM and binds ECM proteins with low affinity
- chemokines and growth factors activate integrin –> elongated and 2 cytoplasmic domains separate to form pocket for ECM to bind with high affinity