Role of the Endothelium during Tumor Cell Metastasis: Is the Endothelium a Barrier or a Promoter for Cell Invasion and Metastasis?
Figure 1
Metastasis formation involves several steps.
Two possible ways of metastasis formation: (a)
first, single tumor cells disseminate form the primary tumor and invade the
extracellular matrix, intravasate into blood or lymph vessels, and get
transported and adhere to the endothelium. Secondly, (a) invasive tumor cells
grow in vessels and do not transmigrate or (b) invasive tumor cells
transmigrate through the endothelium, invade and from a secondary tumor in the
targeted tissue.