reviewThe Journal of Cell BiologyFeb 20, 2012BRONZE OA

The extracellular matrix: A dynamic niche in cancer progression

University of California, San Francisco · Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research · +5 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

The local microenvironment, or niche, of a cancer cell plays important roles in cancer development. A major component of the niche is the extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex network of macromolecules with distinctive physical, biochemical, and biomechanical properties. Although tightly controlled during embryonic development and organ homeostasis, the ECM is commonly deregulated and becomes disorganized in diseases such as cancer. Abnormal ECM affects cancer progression by directly promoting cellular transformation and metastasis. Importantly, however, ECM anomalies also deregulate behavior of stromal cells, facilitate tumor-associated angiogenesis and inflammation, and thus lead to generation of a…

No related works found for this paper.

Funding