Review Article

The Molecular Biology of Brain Metastasis

Table 3

Representative metastasis and invasion promoter genes.

GeneCancer/metastatic tumorFunction(s) of proteinOMIM no.Chromosome location

ERBB2 (HER2)BreastReceptor tyrosine kinase, critical component of IL6, and cytokine signaling16487017q21.1

TIAM1Lymphomas, renal cell cancer, colon, prostate, and breastActivates Rho-like GTPase Rac1, Tiam1Rac1 signaling which affects invasion in numerous ways60068721q22.1

SRCColorectal, breast, melanoma, and lungCritical role in cellular signal transduction pathways, regulating cell division, motility, adhesion, angiogenesis, and survival19009020q12-q13

S100A4Colorectal
Breast
Gastric cancers
Increases endothelial cell motility and induces angiogenesis, increases invasive properties through deregulation of the extracellular matrix1142101q21

MTA1Breast
Ovary
Lung
Gastrointestinal
Colorectal
Nucleosome remodeling and deacetylating (NuRD) complex serves multiple functions in cellular signaling, chromosome remodeling and transcription processes, that are important in the progression, invasion, and growth of metastatic epithelial cells60352614q32.3

KRASPancreatic
Lung
Colorectal
Encode GDP/GTP-binding proteins involved in signal transduction during cellular proliferation, differentiation, and senescence19007012p12.1

HRASBladder
Renal
Thyroid
Small GTPase growth promoting factor19002011p15.5