Critical steps to tumor metastasis: alterations of tumor microenvironment and extracellular matrix in the formation of pre-metastatic and metastatic niche

Jianan Zhuyan; Mingyu Chen; Tianhao Zhu; Xunxia Bao; Timing Zhen; Kaichen Xing; Qiubo Wang; Sibo Zhu

doi:10.1186/s13578-020-00453-9

Critical steps to tumor metastasis: alterations of tumor microenvironment and extracellular matrix in the formation of pre-metastatic and metastatic niche

Cell Biosci. 2020 Jul 28:10:89. doi: 10.1186/s13578-020-00453-9. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Jianan Zhuyan^#^{1

2}, Mingyu Chen^#³, Tianhao Zhu², Xunxia Bao⁴, Timing Zhen⁴, Kaichen Xing⁴, Qiubo Wang⁵, Sibo Zhu¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438 China.
² Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, Shanghai, 201100 China.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, 200040 China.
⁴ School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093 China.
⁵ Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi 9th Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No.999 Liangxi Road, Wuxi, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

For decades, cancer metastasis has been a heated topic for its high mortality. Previous research has shown that pre-metastatic niche and metastatic niche are the 2 crucial steps in cancer metastasis, assisting cancerous cells' infiltration, survival, and colonization at target sites. More recent studies have unraveled details about the specific mechanisms related to the modification of pro-invasion environments. Here, we will review literatures on extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations, general cancer metastasis, organ specificity, pre-metastatic niche, metastatic niche, colony formation and impact on the course of metastasis. Respectively, the metastatic mechanisms like effect of hypoxia or inflammation on pre-metastatic niche construction, as well as the interaction between cancer cells and local milieu will be discussed. Based on the evidences of metastatic niches, we revisit and discussed the "Seed and Soil" hypothesis by Paget. This review will seek to provide insight into the mechanism of metastatic organ specificity which pre-metastatic niche and metastatic niche might suggest from an evolutionary aspect.

Keywords: ECM components; Mechanism; Metastasis; Organ specificity; Systematic literature review.

Publication types

Review