Caswell et al.report in the Journal of Cell Biology how the altered behavior of integrins can prompt metastatic movement in tumor cells.

In the October 1 issue of G&D, Dr. Guillermo Oliver (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) and colleagues present new evidence to resolve a century-old debate over the origin of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature.

The jury is in: microRNAs can cause tumors to metastasize. These tiny molecules fine-tune protein production and play a powerful role in biological processes ranging from development to aging. Now scientists have proved that they can prompt otherwise sedentary cancer cells to move and invade other tissues.

Metastasis – when cancer cells dissociate from the original tumor and migrate via the blood stream to colonize distant organs – is the main cause of cancer death. A team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science has now revealed new details about the mechanisms controlling metastasis of breast cancer cells.

A Swiss-based research team has published a new mechanistic description of how tumor cells migrate to the lymphatic system in the early stages of tumor metastasis. This new understanding holds significant potential for developing anti-metastasis therapies.