Metastatic Dissemination
Metastatic Dissemination - Related Videos
09:14
An In Vitro System to Study Tumor Dormancy and the Switch to Metastatic Growth
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Cited by 39 •
2011
A modified 3-D in vitro system is presented in which growth characteristics of several tumor cell lines in reconstituted basement membrane correlate with the dormant or proliferative behavior of the tumor cells at a metastatic secondary site in vivo.
02:36
Establishing a Mouse Model of Pleural Disseminated Lung Cancer
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2025
This video demonstrates a method to generate a mouse model of pleural dissemination by injecting lung cancer cell suspension into the thoracic cavity of an immunodeficient mouse.
03:52
Experimental Metastatic Melanoma Mouse Model: A Platform to Study the Metastatic Potential of Melanoma Cells in the Lungs
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2023
In this video, melanoma cells are intravenously injected through the tail vein in the mouse model. The melanoma cells further travel through the circulatory system, adapting to the distant microenvironment and causing metastasis in organs like lungs.
10:45
Non-invasive Imaging of Disseminated Candidiasis in Zebrafish Larvae
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Cited by 33 •
2012
The rapid development, small size and transparency of zebrafish are tremendous advantages for the study of innate immune control of infection1-4. Here we demonstrate techniques for infecting zebrafish larvae using the fungal pathogen Candida albicans by microinjection, methodology recently used to implicate phagocyte NADPH oxidase activity in control of fungal dimorphism5.
02:25
zPDX-Analysis of Invasiveness: Investigating Invasive Behavior of Metastatic Cancer Cells in Zebrafish Embryo Xenografts
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2023
This video describes a microinjection method for breast cancer cell delivery into the perivitelline space of transgenic zebrafish embryos. After incubation, we visualize the embryo under a fluorescent microscope to observe cancer cell invasion, dissemination, and metastasis.
FAQs
Successful spread requires progression through several linked events rather than a single change in tumor behavior. Cancer cells must first invade nearby tissue, reach blood or lymphatic vessels, remain viable while circulating, exit at a distant site, and adapt to that organ’s microenvironment. Failure at any stage can limit the formation of a secondary tumor.
These stages determine whether disseminating cancer cells can progress beyond the primary tumor. Entry into blood or lymphatic vessels enables transport, but cells must survive circulation before leaving vessels and entering another tissue. Adaptation to the target-organ microenvironment then influences whether they can establish a secondary tumor, making each stage a distinct research focus.
Local invasion describes cancer-cell movement out of the primary tumor and into surrounding tissue, whereas vascular entry marks access to blood or lymphatic vessels. They represent separate steps that researchers can examine independently. Distinguishing them helps identify whether a factor primarily supports movement through nearby tissue, entry into the circulation, or both.
Cancer researchers combine cell-based assays, animal models, tissue analysis, and molecular profiling to examine metastatic spread. Cell-based assays can investigate behaviors such as invasion and migration, while animal models provide a broader setting for studying dissemination. Tissue analysis and molecular profiling help connect observed behavior with features of tumors or distant sites.
Studies can evaluate cancer-cell invasion, migration, vascular entry, survival during circulation, exit into new tissues, and adaptation to a target-organ microenvironment. Tissue analysis and molecular profiling add information about the cells and environments associated with these events. Together, these outcomes help researchers determine which stages promote progression toward secondary tumor formation.
Research on this process can reveal factors associated with disease progression and support the development of biomarkers. Biomarkers may help indicate metastatic activity or progression, while therapies can be designed to interfere with steps required for secondary tumor formation. This work is especially important because secondary tumors are a major cause of cancer-related mortality.