Cell biologic factors and cancer spread

Abstract

There is an increasing body of literature linking expression of cell biologic factors such as proteases and bioactive peptides with tumor malignancy. Cancer cells and/or the surrounding stromal cells produce and secrete a series of different factors which may facilitate tumor cell invasion and subsequent metastasis. Several reviews that cover the literature on the role of these factors are available. Therefore in this report, we focus on the work in our own laboratories. We will review our previous studies of five cell biologic factors which are differentially involved in cancer progression, including urokinase, tissue-type plasminogen activator, polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase, group II phospholipase A(2), and endothelin-1.