The stressful tumour environment drives plasticity of cell migration programmes, contributing to metastasis
Cet article analyse la façon dont l'adaptation des tumeurs aux modifications environnementales peut modifier les mécanismes de motilité cellulaire et affecter la migration des cellules cancéreuses, l'invasion tumorale et le processus métastatique
Tumours evolve to cope with environmental stresses or challenges such as nutrient starvation, depletion of survival factors and unbalanced mechanical forces. The uncontrolled growth and aberrant deregulation of core cell homeostatic pathways induced by genetic mutations creates an environment of stress. Here, we explore how the adaptations of tumours to the changing environment can drive changes in the motility machinery of cells, affecting migration, invasion and metastasis. Tumour cells can invade individually or collectively, or they can be extruded out of the surrounding epithelium. These mechanisms are thought to be modifications of normal processes occurring during development or tissue repair. Therefore, tumours may activate these pathways in response to environmental stresses, enabling them to survive in hostile environments and spread to distant sites.