DMMC Course CANCER BIOLOGY TO CANCER MEDICINE

0930-1000 Thursday 25 May 2006.
Durkan Lecture Theatre, Institute of Molecular Medicine, TCD, St James's Hospital

Metastasis and cancer
Dr Susan McDonnell (School of Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering, UCD)

Despite tremendous improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers the majority of patients die because their tumour has metastasised or spread to other sites in the body. At the molecular level, the process of tumour invasion and metastasis involves the participation of numerous biomolecules interacting in a variety of intricate cellular functions including altered cell adhesion, proteolysis and migration. This talk will present information on the structure and function of key molecules known to have crucial roles in tumour invasion. The precise interaction of these molecules with each other and their role in invasion will also be discussed.

Resources

Reference: Fidler, I.J. (2002). The pathogenesis of cancer metastasis: the 'seed and soil' hypothesis revisited. Nat Rev Cancer 3, 453-458. PubMed Entry

Reference: Geho D.H., Bandle R.W., Clair T & Liotta L.A. (2005). Physiological mechanisms of tumor-cell invasion and migration. Physiol 20, 194-200. PubMed Entry