Influence of local cytokines on tumor metastasis: using cytokine gene-transfected tumor cells as experimental models.

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The molecular mechanisms and, in particular, the role of cytokines involved in the process of metastasis, though one of the most important aspects of cancer research, are largely unknown. In order to metastasize, a malignant cell has to detach from the primary tumor, invade the extracellular matrix and the blood or lymphatic vessels, arrest in the circulatory system, extravasate into target organs, and initiate tumor cell growth. This multistep process may involve interactions between metastatic tumor cells and the local environment, where cytokines, chemokines, angiogenetic factors, and other factors produced by tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating cells will influence or control the metastatic process in different ways.