Cancer cell invasion is the main reason for high mortality in patients with malignant cancers. There has been little improvement in cancer prognosis because of a high rate of infiltration. Therefore, successful treatment requires inhibition of cancer cell invasion. Here, we suggest a new approach to inhibit cancer cell invasion through mild reduction of cell surface proteins to expose free thiols. Through mild reduction, the cancer cell surfaces present free active thiols at the membranes, enhancing cell adhesion to extracellular matrix and decreasing motility. Collectively, we suggest cell surface modification as a new therapeutic approach to treat invading malignant cancers.
Keywords: anti-invasion therapy; cancer invasion; cell adhesion; cell surface modification; mild reduction.