Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
Dis Model Mech. 2013 May;6(3):580-93. doi: 10.1242/dmm.009282.
The prognosis of metastatic cancer in patients is poor. Interfering with metastatic spread is therefore important for achieving better survival from cancer. Metastatic disease is established through a series of steps, including breaching of the basement membrane, intravasation and survival in lymphatic or blood vessels, extravasation, and growth at distant sites. Yet, although we know the steps involved in metastasis, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of dissemination and colonization of distant organs are incompletely understood. Here, we review the important insights into the metastatic process that have been gained specifically through the use of imaging technologies in murine, chicken embryo and zebrafish model systems, including high-resolution two-photon microscopy and bioluminescence. We further discuss how imaging technologies are beginning to allow researchers to address the role of regional activation of specific molecular pathways in the metastatic process. These technologies are shedding light, literally, on almost every step of the metastatic process, particularly with regards to the dynamics and plasticity of the disseminating cancer cells and the active participation of the microenvironment in the processes.
转移性癌症患者的预后较差。因此，干扰转移性扩散对于提高癌症患者的生存率非常重要。转移性疾病的形成需要经过一系列步骤，包括突破基底膜、进入淋巴管或血管内、在其中存活、逸出以及在远处部位生长。然而，尽管我们了解转移所涉及的步骤，但播散和远处器官定植的细胞和分子机制仍不完全清楚。在这里，我们通过使用小鼠、鸡胚和斑马鱼模型系统中的成像技术（包括高分辨率双光子显微镜和生物发光），综述了转移性过程中的重要见解。我们还进一步讨论了成像技术如何开始允许研究人员解决特定分子途径在转移过程中的区域激活作用。这些技术正在揭示转移性过程的几乎每一个步骤，特别是关于播散癌细胞的动态和可塑性，以及微环境在这些过程中的积极参与。
