Invadopodia: clearing the way for cancer cell invasion
Katarzyna Augoff, Anita Hryniewicz‐Jankowska, Renata Taboła
Abstract
The invasive nature of many cancer cells involves the formation of F-actin-based, lipid-raft-enriched membrane protrusions known as invadopodia or, more broadly, invadosomes. Invadopodia are specialized adhesive structures arising from ventral cell surface within cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) contacts and concentrate high proteolytic activities that allow cells to overcome the dense scaffold of local microenvironment, comprising a natural barrier to cell spreading. This degradative activity distinguishes invadopodia from other adhesive structures like focal adhesions, lamellipodia or filopodia, and is believed to drive cancer progression.
Topics & Concepts
InvadopodiaClearingCancerComputational biologyCancer researchMedicineCancer cellBiologyInternal medicineBusinessFinanceCellular Mechanics and InteractionsProtease and Inhibitor MechanismsCell Adhesion Molecules Research