The Journal of Cell Biology· 2012Q1· Review
The extracellular matrix: A dynamic niche in cancer progression
- 3,025citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2012year
Short summary
The extracellular matrix (ECM), a key component of the cancer microenvironment, is deregulated in cancer and actively promotes tumor progression and metastasis.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The ECM's physical, biochemical, and biomechanical properties are crucial in cancer.
- Deregulation of the ECM is common in cancer and drives progression.
- Abnormal ECM promotes cellular transformation and metastasis.
- ECM anomalies also impact stromal cells, angiogenesis, and inflammation.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The local microenvironment, or niche, of a cancer cell plays important roles in cancer development. A major component of the niche is the extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex network of macromolecules with distinctive physical, biochemical, and biomechanical properties. Although tightly controlled during embryonic development and organ homeostasis, the ECM is commonly deregulated and becomes disorganized in diseases such as cancer. Abnormal ECM affects cancer progression by directly promoting cellular transformation and metastasis. Importantly, however, ECM anomalies also deregulate behavior of stromal cells, facilitate tumor-associated angiogenesis and inflammation, and thus lead to generation of a tumorigenic microenvironment. Understanding how ECM composition and topography are maintained and how their deregulation influences cancer progression may help develop new therapeutic interventions by targeting the tumor niche.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Journal of Cell Biology, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Immunology and Allergy
Immunology and AllergyMedicine