Activating Invasion and Metastasis

Question 1

What are the 5 stages of invasion?

Answer 1

Mutation
Primary tumour
vascularisation
detachment
Intravasion

Question 2

What are the 4 stages of metastasis?

Answer 2

Extravasion
Invasion
Secondary Tumour
Vascularisation

Question 3

What connects tumours

Answer 3

E-cadherin

Question 4

What cleaves E-cadherin

Answer 4

MMP from macrophages

Question 5

What causes tumour cell migration

Answer 5

Macrophage growth factors and chemokines

Question 6

What does pericytes secrete which causes tumour cell migration?

Answer 6

CXCL12

Question 7

Summarise tissue invasion

Answer 7

Loss of E-cadherin
Integrin expression changes (different integrins bind to different ECM components)
Increase in ECM degrading enzymes (MMPs)causes invasion across blood vessels

Question 8

What is epithelial–mesenchymal transition?

Answer 8

Tumour cells undergo this- whole process from break of E-cadherin by MMP’s.

Question 9

How can tumours survive blood stream?

Answer 9

Platelet aggregates

Question 10

What can a tumour do when it metastasises?

Answer 10

Sit dormant- can survive but not enough support to grow
Can grow- Next to activated stromal cell
Can die- not enough resources to survive