Leroy A, Mareel M, De Bruyne G, Bailey G, Nelis H
Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of Ghent, Belgium.
Invasion Metastasis. 1994;14(1-6):177-91.
The multistep invasion process of metastasis is a well-conserved mechanism of normal symbiosis and pathogenic parasitosis. To illustrate this statement, we have compared cellular and molecular aspects of metastasis from colon cancer and enteric amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica. Both types of pathogenic cell, cancer cells and amebic trophozoites, follow the same metastatic route for the liver and other organs. Both establish invasion microecosystems implicating similar kinds of host cells and molecules belonging to closely related families. We have recently found indications that molecules released by trophozoites immediately after adhesion to epithelial monolayers bind to elements of the epithelial intercellular junctions. This phenomenon may lead to the functional disturbance of these junctions. Down-modulation of cell-cell adhesion molecules promotes invasion of colon cancer and other cancer cells. It is our opinion that comparative studies of apparently unrelated systems may reveal cellular and molecular mechanisms of invasion and metastasis that are of general biological importance.
转移的多步骤侵袭过程是正常共生和致病性寄生中一种高度保守的机制。为了说明这一观点，我们比较了结肠癌转移和溶组织内阿米巴引起的肠道阿米巴病在细胞和分子层面的情况。这两种致病细胞，即癌细胞和阿米巴滋养体，都遵循相同的转移途径到达肝脏和其他器官。两者都建立了涉及相似种类宿主细胞和属于密切相关家族分子的侵袭微生态系统。我们最近发现，滋养体在粘附于上皮单层后立即释放的分子会与上皮细胞间连接的成分结合。这种现象可能导致这些连接的功能紊乱。细胞间粘附分子的下调促进了结肠癌和其他癌细胞的侵袭。我们认为，对明显不相关系统的比较研究可能揭示具有普遍生物学重要性的侵袭和转移的细胞和分子机制。
